voting systems
How democracies decide
Voting systems are methods for collecting and counting votes to determine election outcomes.
Different systems produce different results from identical ballots—plurality voting awards victory to whoever gets the most votes, while ranked-choice systems eliminate trailing candidates and redistribute preferences.
The city switched to a new voting system after the reform passed.
Debates over voting systems often center on whether they encourage strategic voting, produce representative outcomes, or favor two-party dominance.
Over half of total
- supermajorityVote exceeding simple majority
- pluralityLargest share among several
- quorumMinimum for valid proceedings
- two-thirdsFraction equaling 0.667
three-fifths · unanimous · consensus · threshold · margin · landslide · mandate · tiebreaker
Largest share among several
- proportionalScaled to match another
- first-past-the-postMost votes wins
- ranked-choiceBallot listing candidates by preference
- approvalFavorable opinion given
Condorcet · range · score · cumulative · preferential · cardinal · ordinal · pairwise
Voting forms
- pollingSystematic opinion gathering
- turnoutNumber attending an event
- precinctsBounded administrative areas
- primariesIntraparty nomination contests
caucuses · electorate · constituents · delegates · campaigns · candidates · incumbents · challengers
Right to cast ballots
- franchiseLicensed business operation
- enfranchisementGranting citizenship rights
- disenfranchisementRemoval of voting rights
- representativeOne who acts for another
direct · participatory · referendum · plebiscite · civic · deliberation · self-governance · consent
Division into shares
- redistrictingRedrawing electoral boundaries
- gerrymanderingManipulating electoral boundaries strategically
- seatsPlaces to sit
- districtsDefined administrative regions
constituencies · wards · at-large · proportionality · overrepresentation · underrepresentation · malapportionment
Recorded count
- countReckon a total
- recountNarrate or retally
- tabulationOrganizing data systematically
- certificationAttestation of qualification
verification · audit · paper-trail · electronic · write-in · provisional · mail-in · drop-box
majority
Over half of total
- supermajorityVote exceeding simple majority
- pluralityLargest share among several
- quorumMinimum for valid proceedings
two-thirds · three-fifths · unanimous · consensus · threshold · margin · landslide · mandate · tiebreaker · minimum
plurality
Largest share among several
- proportionalScaled to match another
- first-past-the-postMost votes wins
- ranked-choiceBallot listing candidates by preference
approval · Condorcet · range · score · cumulative · preferential · cardinal · ordinal · pairwise · sequential
ballots
Voting forms
- pollingSystematic opinion gathering
- turnoutNumber attending an event
- precinctsBounded administrative areas
primaries · caucuses · electorate · constituents · delegates · campaigns · candidates · incumbents · challengers · midterms
suffrage
Right to cast ballots
- franchiseLicensed business operation
- enfranchisementGranting citizenship rights
- disenfranchisementRemoval of voting rights
representative · direct · participatory · referendum · plebiscite · civic · deliberation · self-governance · consent · legitimacy
apportionment
Division into shares
- redistrictingRedrawing electoral boundaries
- gerrymanderingManipulating electoral boundaries strategically
- seatsPlaces to sit
districts · constituencies · wards · at-large · proportionality · overrepresentation · underrepresentation · malapportionment
tally
Recorded count
- countReckon a total
- recountNarrate or retally
- tabulationOrganizing data systematically
certification · verification · audit · paper-trail · electronic · write-in · provisional · mail-in · drop-box
- votingballot, ballots, polls, candidates, aye
- political sciencepolitical science, political theory, political behavior, political economy, political institutions
- workplace voiceemployee input, employee feedback, suggestion box, suggestion boxes, employee involvement
- electionsballot, ballots, candidates, polls, election day
- governancegovernance, government, democracy, parliament, constitution
- parliamentparliament, bills, debate, debates, legislation
voting systemsdictatorship
Unchecked single-ruler government
autocracy · authoritarianism · tyranny · absolute rule · one-man rule
voting systemshereditary monarchy
Kingship through family descent
absolute monarchy · dynastic succession · divine mandate · conquest · coup d'état
voting systemsdisenfranchisement
Removal of voting rights
voter suppression · silencing · subjugation · serfdom · slavery
vote, system, voting, voter, votes, voted, voters, outvote, revote