Political football: Italy’s party problems go beyond its voting system In this guest post, Dylan Difford takes a look at Italy’s political system ahead of Sunday’s showdown. While PR-elected governments are the norm in the democratic world – and often more stable than First Past... Posted 09 Jul 2021
As New Yorkers vote in their first preferential primary, in the UK it is under threat Voters in New York City were able to participate in their first preferential voting (called Ranked Choice Voting or RCV in America) primaries this week, making it the largest-ever American electorate for a preferential voting... Posted 25 Jun 2021
The Two-Bloc System: Scandinavia’s Best Kept Secret? This is a guest post from Dylan Difford who has recently completed an MA in Politics at the University of Essex, focussing on party and voting systems in Britain and Europe. This week, people across... Posted 23 Jun 2021
The Netherlands is going to the polls, but how do Dutch elections work? Dutch voters have started going to the polls to vote in the general election to elect the 150 members of the House of Representatives, with incumbent Prime Minister Mark Rutte seeking a fourth term in... Posted 17 Mar 2021
How a landmark bill could enhance democracy in the US The 2020 US presidential election and down-ballot races were a success for democratic participation. The presidential race saw a record number of people – over 158 million US voters – turn out to vote and... Posted 16 Feb 2021
An independent Electoral Commission for Ireland – A step forward for democracy While in the UK the government has recently threatened our independent elections watchdog with abolition if it cannot be ‘radically overhauled’, across the sea, the Irish government has recently set out plans for establishing an... Posted 12 Jan 2021
A small change has the potential to make a big difference to Australian elections In 1918, a seemingly ordinary by-election in the Australian electoral division of Swan changed Australian federal politics forever. The conservatives left Labor in the dust with almost double the vote. Unfortunately for them, there were... Posted 08 Jan 2021
These US states voted to make elections fairer In the past two weeks, the flaws of the US electoral system have become plain for all to see. As the dust slowly settles, it’s worth looking at some results that aren’t the presidential race.... Posted 13 Nov 2020
In both the US and Britain, millions are silenced by a broken electoral system First published in the i newspaper While President Trump looked hopefully at a path to re-election on Tuesday night, one fact offered a little consolation to Democrats: they were winning the popular vote. But in... Posted 06 Nov 2020
Papers, please: Why the UK must think again before importing US-style voter ID to Britain Voting is a key cornerstone of any democratic system. Just as important are the principles underpinning it: that every vote should be equal, and every vote should count. The US elections have brought these principles... Posted 03 Nov 2020