AMS (Additional Member System) + analysis

For these flashcards, list and regional candidates/votes are used interchangeably as they mean the same thing

3 places AMS is used

1. Scottish Plmt

2. Welsh Plmt

3. Greater London Assembly

Logistics

• Combination of FPTP and PR

• Each citizen gets 2 votes- 1 paper FPTP in constituency, 1 paper for party in region

• D’Hondt formula used to make the Plmt more equal- M(S)Ps elected so the overall composition is more representative (list MPs already decided in order will be elected)

2021- tactical voting in Scotland and consequence

• Unionists voted for other candidates (non-SNP)

• SNP 1 seat short of majority

2021 — Jackie Baillie (L) % increase in majority

• 0.3% to 3.9%

2021 — 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 — C constituency seats and regional seats

• 5 constituency seats

• 26 regional seats

2021 — 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 — G constituency seats and regional seats

• 0 constituency seats

• 8 regional seats

Number of small constituencies in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

73

Number of regions in Scotland

8

Number of small constituencies in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

40

Wales 2021 Senedd election turnout

46.6% (highest ever turnout)

2021 — 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 — Labour constituency and list seats

• 27 constituency

• 3 list

2021 — 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 — Plaid Cymru constituency and list seats

• 5 constituency

• 8 list

2021 — 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 — Plaid Cymru % seats and % vote

• 22% seats

• 20% votes

2026 — Senedd election new voting system

• Different voting system — closed proportional list system

  • Seats will more closely reflect votes

2026 — 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 new constituencies

• 16 constituencies with 6 seats each

  • Total 96 Senedd members

2026 — 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 franchise

• 16 y/o able to vote

2026 — CPLS logistics

• Each party prepares list of up to 8 candidates

  • Ballot paper shows candidate list

  • E.g. 50% votes → 50% seats (e.g. 3 seats) → top 3 candidates on party list elected

Number of GLA members

25

Election of GLA members

• 14 by FPTP

• 11 through list

2024 — GLA — Green constituency v regional seats

• 0 constituency

• 3 regional

2024 — GLA — Conservative constituency v regional seats

• 3 constituency

• 5 regional

Split-ticket voting

Voting for a different party on each ballot (enourages small parties to run)

Proportionality/party representation — 3 evaluative points

4.5/5

• Second ballot form of regional PR so is proportional

• D’Hondt formula used to ensure parties evenly represented

• Still favours major parties

Proportionality/party representation — 2021 Senedd election example

• Tories and Plaid Cymru (Wales) benefit where they would suffer under FPTP due to their lack of regional concentration

Voter choice — 2 evaluative points

3/5

• Voters have 2 votes and can vote for their constituency representative with their first vote, but any party with their second

• The closed list aspect does mean they have no control over the candidate chosen for their second vote

Voter choice — 2 examples

• Smaller parties are more represented than in FPTP

• Split ticket voting is common

Strong and stable govt — 4 evaluative points

1/5

• Always a minority govt due to the proportionality

• Coalitions are likely and this makes it very hard to pass legislation

• Smaller parties are given more of a voice

• If a single party does secure a majority, they are very democratically legitimate as they have a hugely wide base of support

Strong and stable gov’t — number of majorities in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 elections

• Only even 1 — 2011

Constituency-voter link — 3 evaluative points

3/5

• Visible channel of communication

• Represent constituency’s interests

• 2 tiers of MPs are created

Constituency-voter link — 2 tiers of MPs

• List candidates tend to have more roles in govt

  • Good: fewer constituency MPs subject to collective responsibility

  • Bad: list/regional MPs seen as superior, more MPs in general are subject to collective responsibility due to the smaller number of MPs in general