•
THERE ARE THREE MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF
ANY ELECTORAL SYSTEM THAT DETERMINE
HOW IT WORKS:
District
Magnitude
Ballot
Structure
Electoral
Formula
• this refers to the number of representatives elected from the district or riding.
These could be single member ridings or multi-member ridings.
• this refers to the number of voting preferences given a voter on a ballot for
them to mark. The range of choices includes a single choice for a party or
candidate; a multiple preference between parties and candidates; and weighting
preferences between candidates by rank-ordering them.
• this refers to the method by which votes are turned into seats, given the district
magnitude and ballot structure being used. It could include thresholds stipulating
the percentage of votes necessary to get elected.
• elections are regular and fair
• votes are of equal value
• the will of the majority is achieved
• the interests of minorities are taken into consideration
• there is a high level of participation by the electorate
• there is the maximum possible franchise
• voting is accessible
Some electoral systems elect a single winner to a
unique position, such as prime minister,
president or governor, while others elect
multiple winners, such as members of
parliament or boards of directors. There are many
variations in electoral systems, but the most
common systems are first-past-the-post voting,
the two-round (runoff) system, proportional
representation and ranked voting. Some electoral
systems, such as mixed systems, attempt to
combine the benefits of non-proportional and
proportional systems.
•
The study of formally defined electoral
methods is called social choice theory or
voting theory, and this study can take
place within the field of political
science, economics, or mathematics, and
specifically within the subfields of game
theory and mechanism design.
Impossibility proofs such as Arrow's
impossibility theorem demonstrate that
when voters have three or more
alternatives, it is not possible to design
a ranked voting electoral system that
reflects the preferences of individuals in a
global preference of the community,
present in countries with proportional
representation and plurality voting.
Ronald Rogowski (1987) "Trade and the Variety of Democratic
Institutions", International Organization Vol. 41, pp203–24
 Carles Boix (1999) "Setting the Rules of the Game:The Choice of
Electoral Systems in Advanced Democracies",American Political
Science Review Vol. 93 (3), pp609–24
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a
publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911).
"Vote and Voting". Encyclopædia Britannica. 28 (11th ed.).
Cambridge University Press. p. 216.