First-Past-the-Post System

  • August 27, 2021
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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First-Past-the-Post System

Subject – Polity

Concept –

  • The first-past-the-post (FPTP) system is also known as the simple majority system. In this voting method, the candidate with the highest number of votes in a constituency is declared the winner.
  • This system is used in India in direct elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
  • While FPTP is relatively simple, it does not always allow for a truly representative mandate, as the candidate could win despite securing less than half the votes in a contest.

Proportional Representation (PR)

  • Proportional representation (PR) is a concept in which the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received.
  • India is not new to PR system; in our country, the following elections are held on the basis of proportional representation:
    • President
    • Vice President
    • Members of Rajya Sabha
    • Members of state legislative council
First-Past-the-Post SystemProportional Representation (PR)
  • The country is divided into small geographical units called constituencies or districts
  • Large geographical areas are demarcated as constituencies. The entire country can be constituency.
  • Every constituency elect one representative
  • More than one elected representative can be elected from one constituency.
  • Voters vote for the candidate
  • Voter votes for the party
  • A party can get more seats than the proportion of votes
  • Every party gets seat in the legislature proportion to the votes it get in the election
  • Candidate who wins the election may not get majority ( 50% ) of votes
  • Candidate who wins the election gets the majority ( 50%) of the votes
Example : UK, IndiaExample : Israel, Netherland
First-Past-the-Post System Polity