Proportional Representation vs First Past the Post

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Introduction In Trinidad and Tobago the First Past the Post system is followed at election. In the First Past the Post system of vote counting the candidate with the highest number of votes wins. Proportional Representation is the electoral system where each party receives the same percentage of seats in parliament as it receives of the total vote. This is practised in Guyana. Voting should not be taken as a game, it should be a matter of principle. The voting systems followed are an integral part of putting a government into power and can affect the overall result at election. Proportional Representation vs First Past the Post. The Proportional Representation system encourages participation of potential voters. The views and wishes of the voters are more clearly represented. They do not feel like their votes are ‘wasted’ because even in the case of minority the opinions are still voiced. Similarly there are great advantages to the First Past the Post system. This system is fairly cheap to administer. Ballots are counted manually and thus no costly equipment is required to be set up. In addition, the First Past the Post system is simple to understand and does not alienate those illiterate members of society. Basic illustrations representing each party are printed on the polling slips and a simple “X” is to be placed next to it so potential voters who cannot read are encouraged to participate. There are down side to both electoral systems. With Proportional Representation the possibility of single party dominance is diminished. So there is sometimes difficulty in policy formation. The First Past the Post system is flawed in that small constituencies lead to a prominence of ‘safe seats’ where the same party is almost guaranteed re-election at each election. This may lead to these areas being ignored in the making of policies and new development. The First Past

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