First Past the Post
Created | Updated Dec 14, 2010
First Past the Post (FPP)1 is a voting system used throughout the world. It is the foremost majority voting method used today, especially in the UK.
Explain, method, good, bad, (example), countries, history, variants, funny stuff.
Explain - First past the post is a system devised to ensure that the person with the most votes won. It does this very effectively, and so is normally used to decide single member constiuencies.2 It is named after horse racing, where the first horse to pass the post takes all the winnings.
Method - in its basic form FPP is the simplest of all voting systems. Whoever wins the most votes, wins. No reapportioning of votes, no second prizes to losing candidates, and no chance that the winner can have his "prize" taken away.3
Good - this system creates strong leadership - the candidate can claim that they had more votes then the losers, and so their position has the moral high ground...at least for the first few weeks.
Parties can form strong blocs, without the need for coalitions. PR often leads to a huge lead in the votes being reduced, leading to only a small increase in power. In FPP political power is reasonably well linked to number of votes (and seats) won. Each person has one vote, each.Bad - parties with a significant vote can be sidelined for being spread out amongst a number of constiuencies.
Candidates are elected by only their first choices, thus meaning that elected candidates have often been voted against by a majority of the voters.
One party can dominate proceedings without support from accross the political spectrum.
Some votes are given to whoever a voter feels is likely to win, in order not to have their vote wasted, even is they prefered another candidate.
Wasted votes are the biggest problem for angering the public; many, even a majority of the votes are "wasted" on a loosing candidate.
| John Doe | Jane Hill | Chris Halles | Anna Steele |
| 146 | 212 | 251 | 101 |
| 20.56% | 29.86% | 35.35% | 14.23% |
Countries using FPP, and what for.
Afghanistan (President), run-off
Brazil (Senate)
Czech Republic (senate), run-off
France (President and National Assembly), run-off
India (House of the People)
Japan (House of Representatives)
Singapore (President and Parliament)
South Korea (President and National Assembly)
Taiwan (President and Legislative Yuan)
United Kingdom (House of Commons, Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembley)
United States (Senate and House of Representatives)
