List system
Also called: Party list proportional representation, List PR · Topic: Elections and the Electoral System · NCERT: Class 9, Ch 7 "Elections"; Class 11, Ch 3 "Election and Representation"
Meaning
The list system is a type of proportional representation (PR), in which each party gets a share of seats equal to its share of votes. Before the election, each party publishes a ranked list of candidates. Voters choose a party, not a person. Seats then go to the names at the top of each party's list. Some countries treat the whole nation as one constituency, while others use areas that each elect several members.
Example
Israel and the Netherlands treat the whole country as one constituency. Argentina and Portugal use multi-member districts. In Israel's 120-seat Knesset in 2015, Likud won 23.4% of the votes and got 30 seats.
Don't confuse with
- First-past-the-post (FPTP): India's Lok Sabha system, in which each area elects one person and the candidate with the most votes wins. Seats may not match vote shares.
Related concepts
- Constituency
- First-past-the-post system
- Majority system
- Proportional representation
- Electoral threshold