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AES Notebook First Past the Post (FPTP)To date, pure First Past the Post (FPTP) systems are found in the United Kingdom and those countries historically influenced by Britain. Along with the United Kingdom, the most analyzed cases are Canada, India, and the United States of America. FPTP
is also used by a dozen Caribbean nations; by Belize and formerly Guyana
in Latin America; by ten Asian states (including Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Nepal, and Malaysia); and by many of the small island nations of the South
Pacific. Eighteen African nations, mostly former British colonies, use
FPTP systems. In total, out of the 212 countries and related territories
sixty-eight - just under one third - use FPTP systems. In
FPTP systems, the winning candidate is simply the person who wins most
votes. In theory, a candidate could be elected with two votes, if every
other candidate only secured a single vote. Alterations to this rule
transform the system into the Block Vote, the Two-Round System, or the
Single Non-Transferable Vote. However, one adaptation that can also be
categorized as FPTP was used in Nepal in the early 1990s. There, due to
the low level of literacy in much of the electorate, candidates ran under
a party symbol, rather than as individuals. Voters chose between parties,
rather than between candidates. Candidates for office were allowed to run
in more than one district, if they wished. Any candidate elected in two or
more seats would then have to choose which district they would represent.
Partial elections were held to fill the vacated seats. |
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