Voting system

Aspects of voting systems

Each voting system specifies the ballot, which defines the set of allowable votes, and the method, an algorithm for determining the outcome from those votes. This outcome may be a single winner, or may involve multiple winners, such as in the election of a legislative body. The voting system may also specify how to divide the voters into groups (constituencies) whose votes are counted independently.

Related Topics:
Legislative body - Constituencies

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The real-world implementation of an election is generally not considered part of the voting system. For example, though a voting system specifies the ballot abstractly, it does not specify whether the actual ballot takes the form of a piece of paper, a punch card, or a computer display, to give a few examples. It also does not specify whether or how votes are kept secret, or how to verify that the votes are counted accurately. These are aspects of the broader topic of elections and electoral systems.

Related Topics:
Ballot - Computer display - Election - Electoral system

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The ballot

Different voting systems have different forms for allowing the individual to express their votes. In ranked ballot or "preference" voting systems, like Instant-runoff voting, the Borda count, or a Condorcet method, voters order the list of options from most to least preferred. In range voting, voters rate each option separately on a scale. In plurality voting (also known as "first-past-the-post"), voters select only one option, while in approval voting, they can select as many as they want. In voting systems that allow "plumping", like cumulative voting, voters may vote for the same candidate multiple times.

Related Topics:
Ranked ballot - Instant-runoff voting - Borda count - Condorcet method - Range voting - Plurality voting - Approval voting - Cumulative voting

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Some voting systems include additional choices on the ballot, such as write-in candidates or a none of the above option.

Related Topics:
Write-in candidate - None of the above

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Constituencies

Often the purpose of an election is to choose a legislative body made of multiple winners. This can be done by running a single election and choosing the winners from the same pool of votes, or by dividing up the voters into constituencies that have different options and elect different winners.

Related Topics:
Legislative body - Constituencies

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Some countries, like Israel, fill their entire parliament using a single multiple-winner district (constituency), while others, like the Republic of Ireland or Belgium, break up their national elections into smaller, multiple-winner districts, and yet others, like the United States or the United Kingdom, hold only single-winner elections. Some systems, like the Additional member system, embed smaller districts within larger ones.

Related Topics:
Israel - Constituency - Republic of Ireland - Belgium - United States - United Kingdom - Additional member system

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