The Single Transferable Vote means every vote counts in New South Wales’ local elections In the closing days of 2021, I braved the scorch of the blistering Australian summer sun, walking through the streets of a leafy Sydney suburb and dropping flyers into letterboxes for the Sutherland Shire Council... Posted 07 Feb 2022
Levelling Down: First Past the Post’s impact on regional inequality Looking at just national disproportionality hides far more damning realities of how First Past the Post (FPTP) distorts the votes of the British public. Posted 07 Dec 2021
What is the ideal number of MPs per constituency in proportional representation? When choosing a proportional voting system, one of the most important decisions is the number of MPs each constituency elects – its ‘district magnitude. Posted 26 Nov 2021
Labour and Plaid Cymru deal is a big step forward for Wales’ democracy This week saw a historic moment in Wales. Standing on the steps of the Senedd on Monday afternoon, Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford and Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price announced The Co-operation Agreement, setting out... Posted 23 Nov 2021
What’s the difference between open and closed list proportional representation? When discussing proportional voting systems, or voting systems in general, we usually talk about how they allocate seats to political parties. But parliaments are more than parties and it also matters how they decide which... Posted 15 Nov 2021
Which votes get transferred with the Single Transferable Vote? The first meetings of the Electoral Reform Society, then known as the Proportional Representation Society, quickly settled on the Single Transferable Vote (STV) as the best option for electoral reform. Posted 17 Aug 2021
Hare vs Droop: How to set the quota under STV The first meetings of the Proportional Representation Society quickly attracted many leading lights of the Victorian age – including Lewis Carroll, CP Scott (editor of what is now The Guardian) and Thomas Hare (the inventor... Posted 10 Aug 2021
Conservative councillor: How the Single Transferable Vote broke open Scotland’s one-party fiefdoms "With STV, we are trying to steal a march on other parties, while at the same time cooperating for the public good." Posted 05 Aug 2021
What would the party system look like if the UK had proportional representation? By looking at the experiences of similar countries and the devolved governments, we can see which kinds of party system are most probable given the sorts of voting system that are most likely to be... Posted 09 Jun 2021
Boundary review? It’s time for an electoral system review Boundary Review day comes around faster every year it seems. The so-called Sixth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies is now on its third go at suggesting new boundaries. The electoral map has to be updated... Posted 09 Jun 2021