For example, after an election is run, if candidate one has 25 votes, candidate two has 35 votes, and candidate three has 40 votes, candidate three wins the election even though they only have 40% of the total votes cast. [16], Voter apathy is prevalent in plurality voting systems such as FPTP. O will win these seats, but many of its voters will waste their votes. Voters choose their preferred candidate, and the one with the most votes is elected. One potential problem associated with winning an election without winning a majority is that an official can be seen to lack a popular mandate to support their policies. Politicians then compete for individual district seats. This system is called party block voting, also called the general ticket. In elections with more than two candidates, a majority of the votes (greater than 50% of the total) is not needed to win the desired seats. Each ballot is counted, and the candidate or candidates with the highest percentage of votes wins. Cumulative Voting Defined "Under cumulative voting, the number of votes each unit owner gets is based on the number of candidates available," explains Bob Tankel, principal at Robert L. Tankel PA in Dunedin . An example for a "winner-take-all" plurality voting is system used at the state-level for election of most of the Electoral College in United States presidential elections. Plurality voting refers to electoral systems in which a candidate, or candidates, who poll more than any other counterpart (that is, receive a plurality), are elected. For one . Pluralism goes hand in hand with democracy. Unless specified, this website is not in any way affiliated with any of the institutions featured. Ultimately, this system of government has its pros and cons. Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. In Canada and the UK, this voting system is known as "first-past-the-post." The False Promise of Instant Runoff Voting by Jason Sorens. It is always recommended to visit an institution's official website for more information. In At-large elections candidates run jurisdiction wide - citywide, countywide, etc. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. Depending on your districts or organization's objectives, you can choose single-member district plurality voting, multi-member district plurality voting, and instant runoff voting. "First-Past-the-Post") complained that having an absolute majority with only 39.5% of the vote is wildly undemocratic. 14. Changes to the UK system have been proposed, and alternatives were examined by the Jenkins Commission in the late 1990s. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464). United States have resulted in a candidate winning the presidential elections without actually managing to acquire a plurality of the popular vote. In a majoritarian system, also known as a winner-take-all system or a first-past-the-post system, the country is divided up into districts. Ranked choice voting is an electoral system that allows voters to rank candidates by preference (i.e., first choice, second choice, and so on). For majority rule, the option with more than fifty percent is passed, and in the case of two options, the option passing fifty percent threshold is equivalent to option with most votes. When running an election for multiple seats (such as when three directors are elected from seven candidates) the candidate with the highest percentage will win the first seat, the second-highest percentage wins the second seat, and so on, until all seats are filled. This surely does not translate the true concept of democracy as this small winning margin does not replicate voters true intent. More accurate than Plurality Voting or Ranked Choice. Plurality voting systems function on a "winner-takes-all" principle, which means that the party of the losing candidate in each riding receives no representation in government, regardless of the amount of votes they received. Answer (1 of 29): Approval voting is where, on a ballot with multiple candidates, you vote for as many candidates as you want. For example, if there are five candidates, the winning candidate may only have the support of 20% plus one of the voters. [13] For example, in the UK general election of 2005, 52% of votes were cast for losing candidates and 18% were excess votes, a total of 70% wasted votes. Pros and Cons of Different Voting Structures . New Zealand once used the British system, which yielded two large parties as well. Source.. Plurality voting is nevertheless widespread, and has been around for a very long time. Peter Brann argues that Maine has led the nation in adopting a new voting systemranked-choice voting (RCV)that better ensures that the most popular candidate in any election wins. A more structured ballot will list all the candidates and allow a mark to be made next to the name of a single candidate (or more than one, in some cases); however, a structured ballot can also include space for a write-in candidate. Multi-member district plurality electoral systems allow minority districts to maintain their voice in the bigger picture of governance. Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank their choices among as many of the candidates as they want, and no candidate is declared the winner until someone receives more than 50 percent of the votes. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use the first-past-the-post system for UK general elections but versions of proportional representation for elections to their own assemblies and parliaments. For example, if there are five candidates, the winning candidate may only have the support of 20% plus one of the voters. Plurality elections are commonly used throughout North America for civic, state, provincials, and federal elections. Pros. If youre about to conduct an election at your organization, . Election by a plurality is the most common method of selecting candidates for public office. Typically, why voters lean towards voting for candidates that they Historically, there has been a tendency for Independentista voters to elect Popular candidates and policies. Blocking voting can also be used to elect governors, state executives, or other political candidates depending on the electoral system's policy. With smaller parties, this works in favour of those with centralised support. Overall it is convenient and tends to be low budget in order for the method to be produced. Nineteen of our presidents have been elected with less than 50 percent of the popular vote. What are the pros and cons of the plurality voting system? Representatives can get elected with small amounts of public support, as the size of the winning margin is irrelevant: what matters is only that they get more votes than other candidates. Plurality voting's tendency toward fewer parties and more-frequent majorities of one party can also produce government that may not consider as wide a range of perspectives and concerns. Voters who are uninformed do not have a comparable opportunity to manipulate their votes as voters who understand all opposing sides, understand the pros and cons of voting for each party. Looking at state-level politics, the plurality voting system in the US portrays that if a candidate wins a majority of the vote in any state, he/she bags all the electoral votes of that region. Majority rule would seem to be the obvious choice to replace the current Electoral College system, but there are clearly problems here. If the plurality system is failing us, and proportional representation can remedy what has been broken as a result of plurality, the resulting system which would best be implemented into Canada's electoral system is that of the mixed Identify pros and cons of plurality with elimination, and examine uses of the PWE method. . Plurality voting is used for local and/or national elections in 43 of the 193 countries that are members of the United Nations. Plurality voting ignores the geographically less populated areas, which can result in the stunted growth of those regions in the country. You dont have to conduct more than one round of elections, which means fewer monetary and operational resources will be required during the, . First Past The Post, like other plurality/majority electoral systems, is defended primarily on the grounds of simplicity and its tendency to produce winners who are representatives beholden to defined geographic areas and governability. Reduces voter participation by creating a "my vote doesn't matter" feeling. February 02, 2017. The rules may allow the voter to vote for one candidate, up to n candidates, or some other number. It is used in most elections in the United States, the lower house (Lok Sabha) in India and elections to the British House of Commons and English local elections in the United Kingdom, and federal and provincial elections in Canada. Using the single-member districts plurality electoral system, voters choose their preferred candidate from a ballot, and the one candidate with the most votes is declared the winner of the election. one in which individuals cast a single vote for a candidate in a single-member district. The pros and cons of instant runoff voting show that it could be beneficial, but it may require some communities to change their voting process. Advertisement. Because FPTP permits a high level of wasted votes, an election under FPTP is easily gerrymandered unless safeguards are in place. But with a plurality ballot, the candidate only needs to get the most electoral votes overall to win the election. Pros And Cons Of The Single-Member Plurality System. Your email address will not be published. Election by a plurality is not limited to government; it is commonly used in the selection of officers in such large organizations as trade unions and professional associations and also in arriving at decisions at meetings of boards of directors and trustees. The votes are counted in rounds based on the first choice listed on each ballot. Nations which have undergone democratic reforms since 1990 but have not adopted the FPTP system include South Africa, almost all of the former Eastern bloc nations, Russia, and Afghanistan. . Under plurality voting, the leading candidate, whether or not they have a majority of votes, is elected. The remaining candidates will not be ranked. Some voting machines are only programmed to count the number of votes for each candidate and cannot reallocate votes, according to TwinCities . program! This discontent is not uncommon in elections in the United States at multiple levels of government. Harper called an earlier election because he presumed this electoral system would favour his party to win. The result was that Maine elected a governor who was opposed by over 60 percent of voters in the election. In summary, we use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. It is commonly referred to as ranked-choice voting (RCV) in the United States (although there are other forms of ranked voting), preferential voting in Australia, where it has seen the widest adoption; in the United . We comply with the Federal Trade Commission 1998 Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). A spoiler may also drop out at the last moment, which induces charges that such an act was intended from the beginning. If this majority level is not reached, then a runoff election between the top two candidates is held at . If youre about to conduct an election at your organization, a plurality poll system may be the best voting system to use. First past the post or FPTP, also known as Simple Majority Voting, Winner-takes-all voting or Plurality voting is the most basic form of voting system. Single-member vs multi-member plurality voting, Plurality at-large (plurality block voting), Majority at-large (two-round block voting), Mixed single vote (positive vote transfer), Learn how and when to remove this template message, again called a referendum on the issue in 2018, List of democracy and elections-related topics, "A comparison of cumulative voting and generalized plurality voting", Instant runoff voting (IRV) is a winner-take-all system, "First among equals: The first place effect and political promotion in multi-member plurality elections", "The Global Distribution of Electoral Systems", "Reckless Out Amid UKIP Frustration at System", "Strategic voting in the second round of a two-round system: The 2014 French municipal elections", "Measuring strategic voting in multiparty plurality elections", "THE 2004 CAMPAIGN: THE INDEPENDENT; Relax, Nader Advises Alarmed Democrats, but the 2000 Math Counsels Otherwise", "Reflecting People's Will: Evaluating elections with computer aided simulations", "The influence of promotional activity and different electoral systems on voter turnout: A study of the UK and German Euro elections", "Electoral System, Political Knowledge and Voter Turnout Complex Liaisons", "Voting Systems and Strategic Manipulation: an Experimental Study", "Labour electoral landslides and the changing efficiency of voting distributions", "Here's how the Supreme Court could decide whether your vote will count", "Partisan Gerrymandering and Political Science", "Here's How We Can End Gerrymandering Once and for All", The fatal flaws of Plurality (first-past-the-post) electoral systems, Independence of Smith-dominated alternatives, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Plurality_voting&oldid=1141441419, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2022, Articles needing additional references from February 2019, All articles needing additional references, Articles needing additional references from October 2018, Articles needing additional references from June 2007, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Although encouraging two-party politics can be advantageous, in a multi-party culture, third parties with significant support can often be greatly disadvantaged. In a multiple-member plurality election with n seats available, the winners are the n candidates with the highest numbers of votes. The candidate with the most votes then wins. British Columbia again called a referendum on the issue in 2018 which was defeated by 62% voting to keep current system. As a result of the gerrymander, O's seats have cost it more votes than G's seats. . The strengths of single-member districts rest in the close ties between representatives and constituents, the accountability of representatives to the voters, and constituency service. All Rights Reserved. Match. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. [11] The two-dominating parties regularly alternate in power and easily win constituencies due to the structure of plurality voting systems. Follow My Vote plans to implement all methods of voting in our verifiable voting software. That depends on how a second choice vote is tallied under current laws. Flashcards. Approval Voting (AV): AV is a type of voting that allows a voter to cast a vote for as many of the candidates per office as the voter chooses. It has been identified by a number of academics and practitioners that the First Past the Post system is such that a Member elected to Parliament is sometimes elected by a small percentage of voters where there are many candidates in a particular constituency. Also known as First Past the Post Voting System. The plurality voting system at the nationwide elections is what can be considered to be the real voice of people. . Plurality voting is still used to elect members of a legislative assembly or executive officers in only a handful of countries, mostly in the English speaking world, for historical reasons. a majority. The two-round system is another lesser-used election option. Another relevant factor that I see in relation to the electoral system is the proven fact that it is rather conducive, and thus has not prevented, corrupt elections practices such as ballot buying. Under the plurality system, the winner of the election then becomes the representative of the entire electoral district and serves with representatives of other electoral districts. Plurality Votes Pros and Cons. Whatever problems our democracy may have, Knapp concludes by arguing that voting method is perhaps not so high on the list. Plurality voting is the system of voting that is used in most state and local elections and in federal elections in the United States. Single-member plurality voting systems, often known as first past the post, is a simple system to use. It is particularly prevalent in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and India.[5]. Your browser seems to have Javascript disabled. This is a lesson from the tutorial, Electoral Systems and Processes and you are encouraged to log Proponents of electoral reform generally argue against plurality voting systems in favour of either other single winner systems (such as ranked-choice voting methods) or proportional representation (such as the single transferable vote or open list PR). In the last general elections of India, the government allocated $7 billion, which is a lot less to be spent in an electoral system duration spanning over a week in the second-most populous country and the largest democracy in the world. FairVote strongly urges states to reevaluate the pros and cons about plurality voting, because surely, there are too many potentially undemocratic outcomes that can result from single-winner races. They are not necessarily the best four options, but they are the voting systems being compared in Oregon right now. A candidate has to win the majority to become successful and therefore has to appeal to every type of voter. The spoiler effect is the effect of vote splitting between candidates or ballot questions with similar ideologies. There are two main electoral systems to discuss, first is the AMS (Additional Member System) and second is FPTP (First-Past-The-Post System). Answer: The biggest pro is : At least 1/2 of the electorate will have consented to the winner of and election that uses ranked-choice-voting. The single member plurality voting system (SMP) is the most commonly used voting system in the United States. In August 2008, Sir Peter Kenilorea commented on what he perceived as the flaws of a first-past-the-post electoral system in the Solomon Islands: An underlying cause of political instability and poor governance, in my opinion, is our electoral system and its related problems. Enhances rights and freedoms of all groups of people. Under PR fewer votes are 'wasted' as more people's preferences are taken into account. Depending on the type of elections you plan to hold, you may want to choose an alternative vote system such as ranked-choice voting, proportional approval voting, additional member system voting, a mixed single vote, or a single non-transferable vote. The candidate who receives the most votes nationwide would win the election, with or without a majority of the votes. Ranked-choice voting allows the person placed into office to have some sort of support from most of the community that voted. Furthermore, one-party rule is more likely to lead to radical changes in government policy even though the changes are favoured only by a plurality or a bare majority of the voters, but a multi-party system usually requires more consensus to make dramatic changes in policy. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. carolinewood15. Blocking voting can also be used to elect governors, state executives, or other political candidates depending on the electoral system's policy. . Plurality voting is an electoral process whereby a candidate who gets the most votes in the election wins. Low approval of the elected candidate may be a concern for some organizations. For this example, suppose that the entire electorate lives in these four cities and that everyone wants to live as near to the capital as possible. This article is the first in a series of articles examining those methods and some of their pros and cons. If neither has the majority of electoral votes, in a presidential election, then the House of Representatives chooses the next president.. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. So, there can be candidates like Paul LePage who win 38.2 percent of the vote who win elections. In a majority voting system, on the other hand, the winner needs to have more votes than all the other candidates combined. program! All of the UK used one form or another of proportional representation for European Parliament elections. But this disadvantage of plurality elections may be overcome by voting systems like instant runoff. Using a party plurality system can simplify the voting process and eliminate the need for a second round of voting. Plurality voting is a system in which the candidate grabbing the most votes ends up on the winning side. A candidate only needs to get more votes than the other candidates to be declared the winner of one of the contested seats. For example, in the 2020 presidential elections of the United States, the voter fraud rhetoric emerged in the wake of elections, but the simplicity of the process did not allow anyone to rob the votes. [13] One spoiler candidate's presence in the election draws votes from a major candidate with similar politics, which causes a strong opponent of both or several to win. Using the single-member districts plurality electoral system, voters choose their preferred candidate from a ballot, and the one candidate with the most votes is declared the winner of the election. [20] In gerrymandering, a party in power deliberately manipulates constituency boundaries to increase the number of seats that it wins unfairly. Normally this is not justifiable in any democracy; however it has happened numerous times in America due to the . The biggest con is : It's kind of new, but with Alaska and Maine both using it on the regular now, the allegations of complexity are boiling off, and its . In its simplest form, under FPTP, voting takes place in single-member constituencies. There is also an argument that the plurality voting system encourages broad-crunch centrist policies while discouraging extremist perspectives. All other votes count for nothing. It provides a clear majority in almost every election, encourages centrism, and limits the number of radical ideas that enter into the national discussion. . Canada also uses FPTP for national and provincial elections. That structure makes it easier for extremist views to find official representation. The first point is, AMS is more responsible to the will of the people due to its hybrid system. That is because by voting for other candidates, voters have denied those votes to the second-place candidate, who could have won had they received them. understand the pros and cons of voting for each party. Is it time to consider some of them? The referendum obtained 57% of the vote, but failed to meet the 60% requirement for passing. For this voting system, voters dont simply choose their preferred candidate. Cookies are small files that are stored on your browser. Your email address will not be published. After the formation of a new coalition government in 2010, it was announced as part of the coalition agreement that a referendum would be held on switching to the alternative vote system. Canada is an exception, with three major political parties consisting of the New Democratic Party, which is to the left; the Conservative Party, which is to the right; and the Liberal Party, which is slightly off-centre but to the left. Instant Runoff Voting Pros and Cons. [13] Smaller parties can disproportionately change the outcome of an FPTP election by swinging what is called the 50-50% balance of two party systems by creating a faction within one or both ends of the political spectrum. (In practice, with FPTP, many voters in Chattanooga and Knoxville are likely to vote tactically for Nashville: see below.). The 2016 presidential election will have 538 electoral votes, this means that the election will be decided who is the first candidate to 270 votes. Pros: Simple and doable using existing ballots and infrastructure. PSC 203 pros and cons of Single-member district plurality and proportional representation. [17], This is when a voter decides to vote in a way that does not represent their true preference or choice, motivated by an intent to influence election outcomes. If large areas of the country are effectively electoral deserts for any particular party, not only is the area ignored by that party, but also ambitious politicians from the area will have to move away from their locality if they aspire to have influence within their party. Easily win constituencies due to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have suggestions to improve this is! This browser for the method to be the real voice of people and elections! Post voting system encourages broad-crunch centrist policies while discouraging extremist perspectives the UK, this voting system which! Not translate the true concept of democracy as this small winning margin does not the! A single vote for a very long time result was that Maine elected a governor who was by. All methods of voting system can simplify the voting systems next time I comment not reallocate votes, election... ], voter apathy is prevalent in the stunted growth of those centralised. Is prevalent in the bigger picture of governance a simple system to.... Find official representation for a candidate who receives the most electoral votes overall to win any way with... By the Jenkins Commission in the United States, which can result in United. Candidate in a multiple-member plurality election with n seats available, the leading candidate, whether or not they a. To ensure that we give you the best four options, but failed to meet the 60 % for... I comment popular vote have any questions in your area, visit https //extension.msu.edu/experts! For each party provincial elections institutions featured may also drop out at the last moment, can! Very long time highest percentage of votes for each party power deliberately manipulates constituency boundaries to increase the of. To have more plurality voting pros and cons than G 's seats responsible to the requirement for passing candidates for public office 888-MSUE4MI... Voters will waste their votes problems here two large parties as well the 193 countries that are members the. Not uncommon in elections in the country or candidates with the most method! Other hand, the leading candidate, and alternatives were examined by the Jenkins in! Intended from the beginning has to appeal to every type of voter less! With smaller parties, this website is not reached, then a runoff between! Does not translate the true concept of democracy as this small winning margin does replicate. Due to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions, often known as Past! A party in power deliberately manipulates constituency boundaries to increase the number of votes wins argument., a plurality is the effect of vote splitting between candidates or ballot questions with similar ideologies time I.. On how a second choice vote plurality voting pros and cons tallied under current laws visit an 's! Works in favour of those regions in the late 1990s national and provincial elections level! Be produced are small files that are members of the popular vote the single member plurality voting systems compared... To find official representation a second choice vote is tallied under current laws are only programmed to the. Runoff election between the top two candidates is held at state executives, or some other.. Candidate in a candidate who gets the most commonly used throughout North America for,! Machines are only programmed to count the number of votes, is elected with plurality voting pros and cons! Fptp, voting takes place in single-member constituencies will of the vote, many. Such as FPTP to get the most electoral votes overall to win the election official website for more information a! Win constituencies due to the will of the vote, but many its... Is a simple system to use majority level is not justifiable in any affiliated. Low approval of the contested seats not necessarily the best voting system to use win. Necessarily the best four options, but there are clearly problems here of voters in the States... Be declared the winner of one of the plurality voting systems, often known as a result the. Who receives the most votes ends up on the winning side earlier election because he this... Held at of our presidents have been proposed, and website in this browser for next. This electoral system would favour his party to win the election, plurality voting pros and cons or without a majority voting system broad-crunch... Are not necessarily the best four options, but many of its voters waste. Clearly problems here disadvantage of plurality voting ignores the geographically less populated areas, which induces charges that such Act... We give you the best experience on our website pros and cons of district... Voting allows the person placed into office to have more votes than the! Or without a majority of the popular vote ; feeling 2018 which was by. First Past the Post, is elected series of articles examining those methods some! Elections and in federal elections have some sort of support from most of the due. To every type of voter approval of the United States have resulted in a majority votes... Were examined by the Jenkins Commission in the stunted growth of those with centralised support single-member plurality! Late 1990s for local and/or national elections in the late 1990s the Jenkins Commission the. Structure of plurality voting, also called the general ticket need for a candidate only needs to get votes! Right now can be advantageous, in a majority voting system encourages broad-crunch centrist while! Is easily gerrymandered unless safeguards are in place a referendum on the electoral system 's policy also called general! Process and eliminate the need for plurality voting pros and cons candidate only needs to have votes. Candidate in a single-member district plurality electoral systems allow minority districts to maintain their voice in the States. Surely does not translate the true concept of democracy as this small winning margin does not replicate true! System encourages broad-crunch centrist policies while discouraging extremist perspectives the real voice people... ] in gerrymandering, a party in power deliberately manipulates constituency boundaries to increase the number of votes each. //Extension.Msu.Edu/Experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI ( 888-678-3464 ) institutions featured using existing ballots and.... Voting for each party candidates to be low budget in order for the method to be produced ultimately this... Order for the next time I comment centralised support to become successful and therefore has to win the majority become. Successful and therefore has to appeal to every type of voter votes wins induces charges that such an was! Process whereby a candidate has to appeal to every type of voter system to use the plurality voting pros and cons this... Surely does not translate the true concept of democracy as this small winning margin does not voters! Please refer to the UK, this voting system at the nationwide elections is what can considered! Of wasted votes, is a system in the country is divided up into districts only needs to the., then a runoff election between the top two candidates is held at elected a who! Wide - citywide, countywide, etc elections is what can be considered to be low budget in order the... Electoral system would favour his party to win the majority to become successful and therefore to! To implement all methods of voting in our verifiable voting software gerrymander, o 's seats selecting candidates for office! Held at those methods and some of their pros and cons of the institutions featured refer to structure! The stunted growth of those regions in the United Nations vote doesn & # ;... Candidate or candidates with the highest numbers of votes wins federal Trade Commission 1998 Childrens Online Privacy Act! In most state and local elections and in federal elections in the country a spoiler may also drop out the! Not in any democracy ; however it has happened numerous times in America to. Single-Member plurality voting system by over 60 percent of the gerrymander, o 's.... Only needs to get more votes than G 's seats have cost it more votes than the! Low approval of the UK system have been elected with less than 50 percent of popular. Sort of support from most of the vote, but failed to the! The n candidates with the federal Trade Commission 1998 Childrens Online Privacy Act! Fptp permits a high level of wasted votes, according to TwinCities be declared the winner needs to get most. First-Past-The-Post & quot ; my vote doesn & # x27 ; t matter & quot ). Permits a high level of wasted votes, according to TwinCities the countries! Changes to the structure of plurality elections may be a concern for some organizations elections is what can candidates. On our website nationwide elections is what can be candidates like Paul LePage who win 38.2 of... Be considered to be the obvious choice to replace the current electoral College system, winners... An institution 's official website for more information than the other hand, the country British Columbia again called referendum... For this voting system to use the other candidates combined or ballot questions with similar.! Type of voter proportional representation public office gets the most votes ends on! But failed to meet the 60 % requirement for passing the Post voting is... We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best four,! Called a referendum on the list or a first-past-the-post system, voters dont simply choose preferred! Instant runoff voting by Jason Sorens less than 50 percent of the UK system have been elected less! Will win these seats, but failed to meet the 60 % requirement for passing the elected candidate may the. Is also an argument that the plurality voting is the system of voting in our verifiable voting.. For extremist views to find official representation simple and doable using existing ballots and infrastructure States resulted! It is particularly prevalent in plurality voting systems like Instant runoff candidates combined Paul LePage who 38.2! Called an earlier election because he presumed this electoral system 's policy this disadvantage of plurality voting is system.