The Three Different Types of Voting Systems

Portrait of smiling American woman voting and putting ballot in bin on election day

Different municipalities and organizations may have different types of voting systems. If you’re planning for a union vote or a school board vote, you may be wondering what the best voting system is. There really is no “best,” but different types do suit different organizations and populations better. Read on to learn more:

Portrait of smiling American woman voting and putting ballot in bin on election day

First-Past-The-Post Voting

The first type of voting system is known as first-past-the-post. In this voting system, voters cast a single vote for the candidate of their choice. The first candidate to receive the most ballot wins. This is the most common voting system and is used for state and federal elections, as well as schools, institutions, and other organizations.

Preferential Voting

The second type of voting system is preferential voting. With preferential voting, voters will rank the candidates in order of preference. If a voter’s first choice does not have enough votes (i.e., more than fifty percent of the vote), then officials will examine voters’ other preferences. This can get complex, but it does help candidates build an absolute majority of support.

Majority Electoral System

The final type of voting system is an electoral system. This is what we use when voting for President of the United States. In these situations, a candidate does not need more than fifty percent of the vote, they only need a majority.

After choosing your voting system, you need a type of voting that is safe and secure. Honest Ballot offers online voting that is easy to use and secure. To learn more, contact us today at 1-800-541-1851.