First past the post
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First past the post is the name for the electoral system used to elect Members of Parliament (MPs) to Westminster.
What is first past the post?
Former British colonies tend to use the same voting system as Westminster. Many, including Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Cyprus, Malta and South Africa have since stopped. But the US, Canada, India, and many Caribbean and African states still do.
How does first past the post voting work?
On election day, voters receive a ballot paper with a list of candidates. As only one MP will represent the area, each party only stands one candidate to choose from.
Voters usually put a cross next to their favourite candidate. But if they think their favourite has a low chance of winning, they may put a cross next to one they like with a better chance of winning.
‘As there is only one candidate from each party, voters who support that party but don’t like their candidate have to either vote for a party they don’t support or a candidate they don’t like’...
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