#electoral systems

[racefortheironthrone]

When it comes to Proportional Representation legislatures, do you think it's a good idea to have a minimum vote percentage to get seats?

Proportional Representation is generally a good system for legislative elections, but it isn't without its shortcomings that have to be compensated for (damn you, Kenneth Arrow!).

So yes, you want a minimum electoral threshold in order to deal with a couple different problems (wasted votes, the proliferation of fringe parties causing political instability, etc).

[culmaer]

feel like the UK's first-past-the-post system for constituency representatives is basically making a mess comparable to the electoral college in the US

I mean, voting to "get Brexit done" and Corbyn's situation are one thing — but then, the sheer proportion by which the Tories are predicted to win, seems very off like ? that cannot be democratically healthy, and people will suffer because of it

[here in South Africa our problems stem largely from corruption and lack of legislative foresight. but at least parliament is actually representative of the popular vote. that's at least one structural hurdle we don't need to contend with]

[wanderingmind867]

I understand the politics of Canada, the US and the UK. I'm only from Canada, but I see enough US media to basically work out how it functions. And since the UK is so similar to Canada when it comes to the electoral system (if not the parties) I can figure that out too.

It's the other countries I struggle with. Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, etc. I could go on listing countries forever. But like...in as much as I know these other countries are parliamentary systems too, they have proportional representation or ranked choice balloting or a president and a prime minister. None of that applies to the canadian system. And although I get hyperfixations about politics, my brain is best at reading about politicians. Not about political systems.

So I wish they explained other electoral systems in more detail in the education system. I mean...my dream is still that of stateless anarchism, but I at least want to know these other parliamentary systems so I can try and understand where I'd fit in if I were in a certain country for any given election. I tried to work it out during my last politics hyperfixation, and it never worked.

I don't think it'll work if I try to figure it out now. But I still wanted to ramble about how confusing it is. There's a few other things I want to ramble about, but none of those other things are political. So I'll get to them in a bit (if I'm not too tired from waking up early).

[firstoccupier]

Thursday Stability Signal – March 12, 2026

By Cliff Potts, CSO, and Editor-in-Chief of WPS News Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines — March 12, 2026 In the platform era, democratic stability is shaped not only by national institutions but by the capacity of the electoral system to maintain credibility under persistent scrutiny. This week’s stability signal focuses on a structural pressure point that continues to influence public trust: the…

Thursday Stability Signal – March 12, 2026

[sickolib]

A lot of people think electoral thresholds in proportional party list systems are inherently anti democratic and should be set as low as possible, but given how this allows tiny parties to exercise king making authority and hold governing coalitions hostage, I actually think low thresholds are the anti democratic measure

The obvious solution though is just have ranked choice voting, so if your first choice doesn’t make the threshold then it goes to your second and so on until some party is over the line.

That way you can set the threshold at something like 7.5% to ensure that you always have workable coalitions

[skaiawards]

Emerging from poring through Title 24 of the Virginia Code trying to find the explicit ban on fusion voting like

[arjunsingh101]

Voter Registration: The Gateway to Democratic Participation

Voter registration is the first step in empowering citizens to participate in the democratic process. It enables eligible individuals to exercise their fundamental right to vote and have their voices heard. Through this essential process, citizens provide their information, ensuring they are included in the electoral roll. It is a crucial tool for electoral administrators to maintain accuracy and fairness in elections.

By encouraging and simplifying voter registration, nations foster civic engagement and strengthen the pillars of democracy. Embracing this fundamental aspect ensures that every eligible citizen becomes an active participant in shaping the future of their country.

[jerrytheduck]

i love electoral systems with every fiber of my being