Are voters fairly represented in our current First Past the Post voting system? – The results of the election were: – First Past the Post

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Are voters fairly represented in our current First Past the Post voting system? – The results of the election were: – First Past the Post

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fptp-presentation

A presentation made in reveal.js that looks at the UK's electoral system

On Github argarak / fptp-presentation

Are voters fairly represented in our current First Past the Post voting system?

Created by Jakub Kukiełka

2015 General Election

The results of the election were:

The results of the election comapred to votes:

Is this system representative of the voters?

What are some advantages and disadvantages of the FPTP system?

What could be some replacements for the current system?

First Past the Post

Local Election

Slygor: 30% Blort: 5% Tanaka: 15% Fwiffo: 45% Beep-eep: 5%

Fwiffo Wins!

However, is this representative of the voters?

Advantages of FPTP

  • It does not take long to count the votes or require any compilcated voting machines.
  • There is a very little chance of extremist parties being elected as it is very unlikely for them to get enough votes.
  • It is very simple and gives you a clear choice in your vote.

Disadvantages of FPTP

  • Smaller parties are treated unfairly under FPTP.
  • Votes are not accurately reflected in the number of seats won.
  • Votes that go towards the losing candidate or above a candidate's threshold of winning are wasted.
  • The way constituencies are drawn affects what candidate wins. (Gerrymandering)
  • It encourages tactical voting as the voters really have two choices of party.

What are some alternatives to FPTP?

Single Transferable Vote

>33%

Candidate Wins

Results

Advantages of STV

  • It gives voters more choice over their candidates.
  • No tactical voting - You can vote for your favourite candidate.
  • Less votes are wasted as losing candidate' votes go to the other candidate.
  • More diversity in representation.

Disadvantages of STV

  • Can end up in very large constituencies.
  • Counting takes longer and is more complicated.
  • Ballot papers can end up being large and confusing.

Alternative Vote

>50%

Candidate Wins

Results

Advantages of AV

  • MPs will have support over >50% of their constituency.
  • Prevents extremists from winning.
  • No tactical voting - No spoiler effect - Votes are not wasted.
  • Constituencies do not have to be redrawn.

Disadvantages of AV

  • Prone to donkey voting as it is necessary to list candidates.
  • It is not proportional.
  • In a close three-way race, a candidate with a large support could be elmintated in the first round.

Mixed Member Proportional Representation

The party leaders makes a list of representatives before the election.

Ilwrath

Slygor Argarak Kalgon Kayzar Gorgon

Results after proportional vote

Seats = (votes/maxVotes) * maxSeats

You have to round it of course.

Number of seats (out of 20):

  • Ilwrath: 6 seats
  • Mycon: 2 seats
  • Shofixti: 4 seats
  • Spathi: 7 seats
  • Yehat: 1 seat

Results after constituency vote

Party Proportional Seats Seats from Constituencies Total Ilwrath 6 5 6 Mycon 2 2 2 Shofixti 4 4 4 Spathi 7 6 7 Yehat 1 3 3 All 22

Total was 20 but true total is 22.

2 Overhang seats.

Advantages of MMP

  • It's proportional.
  • Every voter has at least one effective vote.
  • It allows voters to express their support without having to worry about going against their party.

Disadvantages of MMP

  • "Overhang seats" can exist where a party wins more seats via the constitunecy vote than is entitled from their proportional vote.
  • It can be complex.

Conclusion

Our first past the post voting system is causing Britain to lose democratic power.

When people are not well represented, they turn to tactical voting. They do not express their opinion but use the system as a way to oppose their least favourite large party (such as the Conservatives or Labour) so that they do not get power.

The two large parties see FPTP as a functioning system - they benefit from it.

They do not care about our own power - our own opinion. They leave us with two options.

Belfast South

An electroral reform will give us more representation - it is just Representative "Democracy" and not Direct Democracy (since Representative Democracy is not really Democracy) but we should stop our country losing political diversity and just becoming the winning party and the opposition, or even worse, just one party.

The winning party usually does not represent most of the citizens.

What would the UK look like with MMP?

Seems more representative of the voters.

FPTP gives us even less control over our parliament, which is no good for Democracy. We should at least change the system so that Representative "Democracy" works.

An electoral reform is a step towards true Democracy.

Any other system I described would work better than FPTP.

It is clear that FPTP is not representative from the graphs shown.

In 2011, the UK attempted to reform their system to the AV but large parties fought hard to keep FPTP and fool the public into believing that it was a better system and no-one else wanted it.

Thanks for watching.

I hope you will fight for a reform, even if large parties may disagree.

Are voters fairly represented in our current First Past the Post voting system? Created by Jakub Kukiełka