4.1 Types of Systems

Comparing elections involves examining the districts, the ballots, the franchise and the formula. The term formula refers to the mathematical calculation required to translate voter preferences into a representative government. This could mean seats in a legislature, or it could be a formula for electing a head of state, such as a president. A country’s electoral formula is more commonly known as an electoral system.

The term electoral system is a bit of a misnomer. Rather than a single process or institution, an electoral system is a complex system of interconnected rules that determines:

• The number of candidates election
• The method voters use to make their choice
• The process of counting votes
• The threshold for winning. (Blais & Bol, 2023)

Each potential option presents trade-offs. Some systems might use single-member districts while others have multi-member districts. Some systems use complex ballots that require voters to select multiple options across several contests. Other ballots, such as Canada’s, are more intuitive. The number of candidates and the type of ballot are related to the choice of system. The elements of an electoral system are interconnected.

For each of those criteria, there are different options available, and the choice of electoral system involves making explicit judgments about the purpose of the election. The purpose might be to identify clear winners and losers, or it might be trying to represent the voters’ preferences as closely as possible (Taylor et al., 2014). The goal might also be to have a system that is easy to use and quick to provide results. When comparing methods of electing a parliament, congress, or legislature, we can group the different systems into two broad categories: majoritarian and proportional.