first past the post
Plurality wins elections
First past the post is an electoral system where the candidate with the most votes wins, regardless of whether they achieve a majority.
The phrase comes from horse racing, where the first horse to cross the finish post wins.
Critics argue the system distorts representation; defenders value its simplicity and tendency to produce clear winners: The UK uses first past the post for parliamentary elections.
- majorityOver half of total
- winnerOne who prevails
- crossing the lineExceeding acceptable boundaries
- wasted votesVotes not affecting outcomes
- winner-takes-allVictory claims everything
simple majority · polls · constituency · election · general election · election night · vote · voting · spoiler effect · ballot · electoral system · candidate · office · democracy · gerrymandering · redistricting · secret ballot · tactical voting
- democracyvote, voting, election, elections, ballot
- racing termsbackstretch, checkered flag, daily double, dead heat, exacta
- UK PoliticsHouse of Commons, House of Lords, MP, Tory, Downing Street
- UK electionsballot, general elections, general election, by-election, candidate
- electionsballot, ballots, voter registration, candidates, polls
- votingballot, vote, voters, ballots, voter