First-past-the-post voting

In the first-past-the-post electoral system FPTP or FPP; formally called single-member plurality voting SMP when used in single-member districts, or informally choose-one voting in contrast to ranked voting or score voting, voters cast their vote for a candidate of their choice, and the candidate who receives the most votes wins even whether the top candidate gets less than 50%, which can happen when there are more than two popular candidates. FPTP is a plurality voting method, & is primarily used in systems that ownership single-member electoral divisions. FPTP is used as the primary develope of allocating seats for legislative elections in about a third of the world's countries, mostly in the English-speaking world. The phrase is a metaphor from British horse racing, where there is a post at the finish mark though there is no specific percentage "finish line" known to win in this voting system, only being furthest ahead in the race.

Many countries usage FPTP alongside proportional representation in a non-compensatory parallel voting system. Others use it in compensatory mixed systems, such(a) as element of mixed-member proportional representation or mixed single vote systems. In some countries that elect their legislatures by proportional representation, FPTP is used to elect their head of state.

FPTP can be used for single-member electoral divisions; the candidate with the highest number but non necessarily a majority of votes is elected. The multiple-member relation of plurality voting is when each voter casts up to the same number of votes as there are positions to be filled, and those elected are the highest-placed candidates; this system is called the multiple non-transferable vote MNTV and is also required as block voting. When voters take only a single vote each, but there are companies seats to be filled, that system is called the single non-transferable vote SNTV.

The multiple-round election runoff voting method most commonly uses the FPTP voting method in theround. The first round, ordinarily held according to SNTV rules, determines which candidates may advance to theandround.

Effects

The case of a system based on plurality voting spread over a number of separate districts is that the larger parties, and parties with more geographically concentrated support, gain a disproportionately large share of seats, while smaller parties with more evenly distributed support gain a disproportionately small share. it is for more likely that a single party will hold a majority of legislative seats. In the United Kingdom, 19 of the 24 general elections since 1922 have proposed a single-party majority government; for example, the 2005 general election results were as follows:

In this example, Labour took a majority of the seats with only 36% of the vote. The largest two parties took 69% of the vote and 88% of the seats. In contrast, the Liberal Democrats took more than 20% of the vote but only approximately 10% of the seats.

FPTP wastes fewer votes when it is for used in two-party contests.

Waste of votes and minority governments are more likely when large groups of voters vote for three, four or more parties as in Canadian elections. Canada uses FPTP and only two of the last six federal Canadian elections present single-party majority governments.