Types of Electoral Systems – SS2 Government Lesson Note (First Term)

An electoral system is the process and procedure by which citizens of a democratic country select, through direct or indirect voting, those who will represent them in parliament and in other positions in government.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

• define an electoral system;
• state the features of an electoral system;
• list and describe the types of electoral system;
• state the merits and demerits of the plurality, absolute majority, alternative and proportional representation systems.

What are the features of an electoral system?

1. An independent and impartial electoral commission.
2. Regular and periodic elections as stipulated by the constitution.
3. Division of the country into constituencies.
4. Universal adult suffrage.
5. Voting conducted in an atmosphere free of intimidation, molestation and victimisation.
6. Representation of all interest groups in the country in the legislature.
7. An acceptable way of nominating candidates for elections.
8. Stipulated requirements for qualification as an election candidate.
9. Compilation of a complete voter register that includes all qualified voters.
10. Regular and public display of voter lists.
11. Periodic revision of voter lists.
12. Political education for the electorate.
13. An independent judiciary that will handle election petitions without fear or favour.
14. A secret ballot system.
15. Public counting of votes.

What are the types of electoral system?

1. Plurality system or simple majority system

This system is usually called first past the post or the simple majority system. Under it, the candidate who polls the highest number of votes is declared the winner. Britain, the USA and Canada are examples of countries that have adopted this system.

Merits of the plurality system

1. It is simple to operate, as the candidate with the highest vote is declared the winner.
2. It is less expensive because there is no second ballot.
3. A winner is always sure to emerge at the end of the ballot.
4. It discourages the formation of coalition governments.
5. Minority groups have the chance of ruling through this system.
6. It makes for political stability.
7. It makes the elected candidate responsible and accountable to the voters.

Demerits of the plurality system

1. It is undemocratic because it neglects the wishes of the majority of the voters.
2. Major ethnic groups can use their majority strength to secure a simple majority at the expense of the minority groups.
3. It may enthrone mediocrity in power.
4. It encourages election rigging to secure the highest number of votes.
5. The elected representatives and government do not reflect the wishes of the people.

2. Absolute majority system

In this system, a candidate must score more than 50 per cent of the votes cast before being declared the winner.

Merits of the absolute majority system

1. It reflects the wishes of the people.
2. There is no room for unpopular candidates.
3. It produces credible candidates, judging from the outcome of the election.

Demerits of the absolute majority system

1. It is expensive and time-consuming.
2. It is more cumbersome to operate than the simple plurality system.
3. It tends to encourage abuse, in the sense that it compels leading candidates to woo the support of other candidates.

3. Second ballot system

This system involves two ballots. In the first, the successful candidate must obtain an absolute majority of the votes cast, which is 50 per cent plus one. If no candidate obtains this, a second ballot is held, and candidates who had less than 10 per cent of the total votes in the first ballot must withdraw. The winning candidate is then required to secure a simple majority.

4. The alternative system

In this system, a voter is given a ballot paper with the names of the contesting candidates. The voter writes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc., in order of preference, depending on the number of candidates contesting the election. If no candidate has an absolute majority, the candidates with the fewest votes can be dropped and their votes distributed to other candidates according to the second preference of the voter.

Merits of the alternative system

1. Candidates backed by the voters are elected.
2. The system represents the interests of the various groups in a country.
3. It is more democratic than the plurality system because it takes care of the majority of the voters.
4. It does not enthrone mediocrity in power.
5. It avoids the waste of surplus votes.

Demerits of the alternative system

1. It is difficult to operate because of its complexities.
2. It encourages the formation of many political parties.
3. It cannot operate very well in underdeveloped nations, where the majority of citizens are illiterate and may not understand the system.
4. It is very difficult to ascertain election results.
5. It is very expensive to operate, and time and energy are wasted.

5. Proportional representation system

This system is used to elect representatives into the legislature from multi-member constituencies. The total number of votes which a party or group scores is calculated in proportion to the total number of votes cast. There are two types of proportional representation:

• The list system: The electorate votes for a list of candidates presented by a political party, and each party wins the number of seats in that constituency according to the votes cast for its list.
• Single transferable vote: Voters vote for parties rather than candidates. Parties prepare lists in the order in which they want their candidates to be elected, and the names are printed in that order on the ballot papers. After counting the votes, an electoral quota is established, that is, the minimum number of votes needed by a candidate to win one of the seats. The surplus votes are redistributed to other candidates according to the voter’s order of preference.

Merits of proportional representation

1. It gives a true reflection of the popular vote.
2. It provides representation for all interest groups in the community.
3. It is a more democratic system.
4. It protects the interests of minority groups.
5. It gives voters a wider choice.
6. It avoids the waste of surplus votes.
7. It gives the voter the chance to choose candidates on both personal and party merits.

Demerits of proportional representation

1. It is a complicated form of election.
2. It is very expensive to operate.
3. It encourages the multiplication of political parties, which results in election violence.
4. It does not create room for political stability.
5. The multiplication of political parties makes it difficult for voters to assess them well before voting.

Evaluation

1. Define an electoral system.
2. State five features of an electoral system.
3. Explain the plurality system and name two countries that use it.
4. What is the difference between the absolute majority system and the second ballot system?
5. State three demerits of the alternative system.

Assignment

1. The process of conducting elections into public offices is called (a) electoral college (b) electoral system (c) open vote (d) voting.
2. One of the following is a type of proportional representation: (a) plurality system (b) absolute majority (c) the list system (d) first past the post.
3. A system of vote in which the candidate with the highest number of votes is declared the winner is called (a) simple plurality (b) proportional representation (c) absolute majority (d) second ballot.
4. Another name for the simple majority system of vote is (a) second ballot (b) absolute majority (c) first past the post.
5. A system whereby parties are allocated seats in parliament is called (a) alternative vote system (b) absolute majority (c) proportional representation (d) simple majority.
6. What are the merits of proportional representation?
7. Mention the merits and demerits of the absolute majority system.