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First-past-the-post voting

2:33

First Past The Post (Voting System)

2:03

First past the post vs. proportional representation

2:40

First past the post: The UK voting system explained

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First Past the Post

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Welcome to Your Vote - Voting Systems: First Past the Post - England

A first-past-the-post (FPTP) voting method is one in which voters indicate on a ballot the candidate of their choice, and the candidate who receives the most votes wins. This is sometimes described as winner takes all. First-past-the-post voting is a plurality voting method. FPTP is a common, but not universal, feature of electoral systems with single-member electoral divisions, and is practiced in close to one third of countries. Notable examples include Canada, India, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as most of their current or former colonies and protectorates.
  • Illustration 

  • Effects 

  • Advantages 

  • Disadvantages 

  • Campaigns to replace FPTP 

  • Voting method criteria 

  • List of current FPTP countries 

  • List of former FPTP countries