Voting Systems

AMS is effective because it is better represents represents the electorate:

  • AMS results in a constituency MSP such as Ben MacPherson for Edinburgh North and Leith

  • HOWEVER, AMS can be confusing for the electorate as they are represented by 8 MSPs where Edinburgh North and Leith are represented by Lorna Slater and others in addition to Ben Macpherson

AMS is effective because it is proportional:

  • In 2021 the Conservatives received 23% of votes and 24% of seats

  • HOWEVER, in 2021 the Liberal Democrats got more votes (6%) than the Greens (5%) but got 4 fewer seats

AMS is effective because it gives the electorate the opportunity to elect a wide range of views:

  • As you receive 2 votes, you could vote for the SNP and Greens

  • HOWEVER, In 2021 the Greens received only 5% of votes but received 8 seats

FPTP is effective because it is simple to understand:

  • Under FPTP, you only have one representative

  • HOWEVER, in 2019, the conservatives won 43.6% of the votes and won the election, so 56.4% of the electorate did not receive their preferred government

FPTP is effective because it results in a clear winner:

  • The First Past The Post system elects one party based on the largest number of overall votes, so a clear winner is always elected

  • HOWEVER, small parties lack representation as in 2019 the Greens received 900k votes but only 5 seats

FPTP is effective because it limits extremist parties:

  • In 2019 the BNP party stood but only gained a few hundred votes so did not have any representation in parliament

  • However, this can lead to tactical voting as people may understand that a party such as the Greens will not gain power so instead vote to prevent another party gaining power