Global Electoral Systems Explained Ahead of Israeli Election

As Israel approaches an election day, this report examines various electoral systems used worldwide to translate votes into political power. The core principle of any electoral system is how it determines a party's representation based on voter support, regional representation, and the ability of smaller parties to compete. Proportional Representation (PR) is a common method, aiming for parliamentary seats to reflect a party's vote share as closely as possible. Other systems include Alternative Vote, Two-Round System, and First-Past-the-Post (FPTP), often combined with regional representation. According to the UK's Electoral Reform Society, over 130 countries utilize PR or hybrid systems for their lower or unicameral legislatures.

PR systems, used in countries like Czechia, Serbia, Sweden, and Colombia, involve parties presenting candidate lists, with seats allocated based on vote percentage. These lists can be closed (fixed order) or open (voter influence on candidate selection). While PR generally allows smaller parties broader representation and reduces wasted votes, its effectiveness depends on factors like electoral thresholds, district size, and allocation formulas. This system often fosters multi-party environments but can complicate coalition building, as seen in Austria's 2019 and 2024 elections where five parties entered parliament.

In contrast, the UK's FPTP system, where the candidate with the most votes wins a district, makes it difficult for parties with dispersed support. For example, the Green Party received about 6.7% of the vote in the 2024 UK election but secured only about 0.6% of parliamentary seats. Latvia's 2018 election, however, demonstrated the broad representation possible under PR, with seven lists gaining seats.

The Alternative Vote (AV) system, used in Australia and Papua New Guinea, requires voters to rank candidates. If no candidate secures an absolute majority, votes are redistributed based on second preferences until a winner emerges. While AV allows voters to express nuanced preferences and can encourage broader appeal from candidates, it is not a proportional system, as only one representative is elected per district. Australia's Senate, however, uses a PR system based on ranked voting.

Germany and the Scottish Parliament employ hybrid systems, combining local representation with party list voting. Germany's system, particularly after its 2025 reform, uses the party list vote to primarily determine seat allocation, aiming to balance local representation with proportional outcomes. This has led to multi-party representation, as seen in the 2021 federal election. Wales, previously using a hybrid system, transitioned to closed-list PR in May 2026.

The Two-Round System, used in France for presidential and national assembly elections, involves a runoff if no candidate wins outright in the first round. This system allows voters to change their preferences between rounds and encourages alliances but can disadvantage smaller parties. The US presidential election uses the Electoral College, where the popular vote winner in a state typically receives all its electoral votes, potentially leading to a president winning without the national popular vote, as occurred in 2016.