electoral system

(noun)

The detailed constitutional arrangements and voting laws that convert the vote into a political decision.

Related Terms

Examples of electoral system in the following topics:

  • Electing Candidates

    • Electoral systems are the detailed constitutional arrangements and voting laws that convert the vote into a political decision.
    • Electoral systems then determine the result of the election on the basis of the tally.
    • Most electoral systems can be categorized as either proportional or majoritarian.
    • In a proportional electoral system, a political party receives a percentage of seats in a governmental body in proportion to the number of votes it receives.
    • Many electoral systems require voters to cast ballots at official, regulated polling places.

  • The Electoral College

    • These presidential electors in turn cast electoral votes for those two offices.
    • Faithless electors are pledged electors and thus different from unpledged electors.
    • They argue that the two party system has provided stability through its ability to change during times of rapid political and cultural change.
    • In the presidential general election, the winner is determined based on who receives the greatest number of votes in the Electoral College system.
    • Assess the compatibility of the Electoral College system with the nation's federalist and democratic commitments

  • The 23rd Amendment

    • The Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution permits citizens in the District of Columbia to vote for Electors for President and Vice President.
    • The 23rd Amendment would have been repealed by the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment, which proposed to give the District full representation in the United States Congress, full representation in the Electoral College system, and full participation in the process by which the U.S.
    • A number of electors of President and Vice President equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a State, but in no event more than the least populous State; they shall be in addition to those appointed by the States, but they shall be considered, for the purposes of the election of President and Vice President, to be electors appointed by a State; and they shall meet in the District and perform such duties as provided by the twelfth article of amendment.

  • The Two-Party System

    • The modern political party system in the U.S. is a two-party system dominated by the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
    • In the U.S., forty-eight states have a standard winner-takes-all electoral system for amassing presidential votes in the Electoral College system.
    • The winner–takes–all principle applies in presidential elections, thus if a presidential candidate gets the most votes in any particular state, all of the electoral votes from that state are awarded to the candidate.
    • In all but Maine and Nebraska, the presidential candidate must win a plurality of votes to wins all of the electoral votes; this practice is called the unit rule.
    • There are two main reasons winner–takes–all systems lead to a two-party system.

  • The General Election Campaign

    • Instead, votes are allocated indirectly through members of the Electoral College.
    • Under this system, statewide elections take place in which voters cast ballots for candidates.
    • Because a candidate only needs to win a majority of votes in the state to receive all of its Electoral College votes, this system has lead to election strategies in which states with a solid Republican or Democratic majority are not contested by candidates.
    • The most notorious swing states in recent years have been Florida and Ohio, since each is generally unpredictable, and each has a significant number of Electoral College electors.
    • In the presidential general election, the winner is determined based on who receives the greatest number of votes in the Electoral College system.

  • Political Parties

    • The type of electoral system is a major factor in determining the type of political party system.
    • Two-party systems are states in which there are two political parties dominant to such an extent that electoral success under the banner of any other party is almost impossible.
    • Congress are examples of two-party systems.
    • Multi-party systems are systems in which more than two parties are represented and elected to public office.
    • Identify the functions and different structures of political parties in an electoral democracy

  • Electoral Districts

    • The exact name used varies from country to country, including such terms as "electoral commission", "central election commission", "electoral branch" or "electoral court".
    • Proportional representation voting systems inherently require multi-member districts, and the larger the district magnitude the more proportional a system tends to be.
    • District magnitude can vary within the same system during an election.
    • Gerrymandering is typically done under voting systems with single-member districts .
    • Sometimes, particularly under non-proportional winner-take-all voting systems, electoral districts can be prone to landslide victories.

  • Voter Turnout

    • A high turnout is generally seen as evidence of the legitimacy of the current system.
    • The Electoral College is an example of an indirect election, consisting of 538 electors who officially elect the President and Vice President of the United States.
    • A high turnout is generally seen as evidence of the legitimacy of the current system.
    • However, some political scientists question the view that high turnout is an implicit endorsement of the system.
    • Nebraska split its electoral vote when Senator Obama won the electoral vote from Nebraska's 2nd congressional district; the state's other four electoral votes went to Senator McCain.

  • Democratic Governments

    • According to Freedom House, in 2007 there were 123 electoral democracies – up from 40 in 1972.
    • This term was used around 400 BCE to denote the political systems then existing in Greek city-states, notably Athens.
    • Depending on the particular system in use, it might entail passing executive decisions, making laws, directly electing or dismissing officials, and conducting trials.
    • It is an element of both the parliamentary system and presidential system of government and is typically used in a lower chamber such as the House of Commons (UK) or Bundestag (Germany).
    • According to Freedom House, in 2007 there were 123 electoral democracies – up from 40 in 1972.

  • The Effect of Low Voter Turnout

    • Assuming that low turnout is a reflection of disenchantment, a poll with very low turnout may be an inaccurate reflection of the electorate.
    • A high turnout is generally seen as evidence of the legitimacy of the current system.