Recently, there is a growing consensus among a broad cross-section of citizens and political parties in India that the current First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) electoral system must be replaced with a Proportional Representation (PR) electoral system as one viable alternative.
First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) Electoral System
- It is an electoral system in which voters cast a vote for a single candidate, and the candidate with the most votes wins the election.
- Also known as the simple majority system or plurality system.
- One of the simplest and oldest electoral systems, used in countries such as the UK, the US, Canada, and India.
Features
- Voters are presented with a list of candidates nominated by different political parties or running as independents.
- Voters choose one candidate by marking their ballot paper or electronic voting machine.
- The candidate who receives the most votes in a constituency is declared the winner.
- The winner does not need to get a majority (more than 50%) of the votes, but only a plurality (the largest number) of the votes.
- This system frequently leads to disproportionate outcomes when selecting members of an assembly, like a Parliament, as political parties may not receive representation in line with their proportion of the overall vote.
Advantages
- Simplicity: It is a straightforward system that is easy for voters to understand and for officials to administer. This makes it cost-effective and efficient.
- Clear and Decisive Winners: It provides results with a definitive winner, which can contribute to stability and credibility in the electoral system.
- Accountability: Candidates in elections directly represent constituents, allowing for better accountability compared to Proportional Representation systems where candidates may not be as well known.
- Candidate Selection: It allows voters to choose between parties and specific candidates, while the PR system requires voters to select a party and the representatives are elected based on party lists.
- Coalition-Building: It encourages different social groups to unite locally, promoting broader unity and preventing fragmentation into numerous community-based parties.
Proportional Representation (PR) Systems
- It is an electoral system where the political parties get representation (number of seats) in the legislature in proportion to the share of votes they get in the elections.
Features
- It fairly represents political parties based on their share of the vote.
- It ensures that every vote counts towards allocating seats in Parliament or other elected bodies.
Types
Single Transferable Vote
- It allows a voter to rank his/her candidate in order of preference, i.e., by providing backup references and casting only one vote.
- Proportional Representation (PR) By Single Transferable Vote (STV) enables voters to choose the most preferred candidate of the party and vote for independent candidates.
- The President of India is elected through the PR system with a STV, where a secret ballot system is used to elect the President.
- The electoral college, which consists of the Legislative Assemblies of the States, Council of States, and members of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, elects the Indian president through a PR system utilizing an STV.
Party-List PR
- Here voters vote for the party (and not individual candidates) and then the parties get seats in proportion to their vote share.
- There is usually a minimum threshold of 3-5% vote share for a party to be eligible for a seat.
Mixed-Member Proportional Representation (MMP):
- It is a system that aims to achieve a balance between stability and proportionate representation in a country’s political system.
- Under this system, one candidate is elected through the First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) system from each territorial constituency. In addition to these representatives, there are also additional seats allocated to various parties based on their percentage of votes nationwide.
- This allows for a more diverse representation in government while still maintaining the stability of having individual representatives from specific geographical areas.
- New Zealand, South Korea, and Germany are examples of countries where MMP is operational.
Advantages
Ensures Every Vote Counts
- In PR every vote is counted towards allocating seats in Parliament. This means that voters have a greater sense of participation in the democratic process.
Diverse and Representative Government
- Smaller parties and minority groups are more likely to be represented under a PR system, which can lead to a more diverse range of perspectives and ideas in Parliament.