What are the objectives of an electoral system?
There are three objectives which should be achieved by any electoral system. It is not possible to achieve all of these objectives perfectly. But if the system fails to meet these objectives to a significant extent, it is likely that the results of the election will not be accepted by the voters.
1. Transparency:
The process should be understandable to everyone. All electoral activities should be open. Understanding the electoral process and being able to see it work builds trust among parties and voters in the process and in the result.
2. Inclusiveness:
All major interests of a society should be included in the electoral process and should feel included. Those who are excluded or feel excluded can become alienated from government, lose confidence in the electoral process, and may resort to violence.
There are other practical exclusions that need to be considered. For example, an illiterate or disabled person may not understand a ballot or be able to mark it. They must be given assistance, or the election is not fully inclusive.
3. Fairness:
People must feel that their vote and their opinion have just as much value as those of other voters.
What is the current electoral system in Iraq?
The Council of Representatives election of 2005 used what is called a List Proportional Representation (List PR) system. People voted for parties. Then parties were allocated the same percentage of seats in the assembly as the percentage of votes that the parties received in the election. The seats were then awarded to each party’s candidates from the list presented to the Election Commission before the election, in the order on the list. If a party won five seats, the first five candidates on the party’s list took the seats. This version of List PR is known as a “closed list” because voters cannot change the order of candidates that has been decided by each party.
The January 2005 governorate elections used the same system.
What is a variation on the current system?
A different version of List PR uses what is called an “open list.” In this system, voters are able to vote for individual candidates on the lists of the parties that they prefer.
On election day, instead of voting for parties, voters may be allowed to vote for one individual candidate, or for several candidates up to the number of seats to be filled. All the votes for individual candidates within the same party are added up to create a party total. Based upon this party total, seats are allocated to the parties, so that the percentage of seats allocated to a party is very close to the percentage of the votes the party’s candidates received in total.
The main difference between the closed list and open list comes when the seats are awarded to candidates. In a closed list, seats are awarded in the order of the names on the list the party submitted to the Election Commission before the election. In an open list, seats are awarded in the order of votes received by individual candidates. This may be very different from the order the party proposed before the election.
In summary, a closed list is a fixed list that voters cannot change. An open list is a list that voters can change with their votes.
When looking at electoral systems the following criteria should be met:
- The result of an election should reflect the makeup of the society it represents.
- The electoral system should be affordable and sustainable.
- The electoral system should be practical.
- The electoral system should be understandable to voters, political parties, observers and other stakeholders.
- The electoral system should be acceptable to all of the political forces in the country
- The electoral system should promote inclusiveness of different political groups while enabling for the representation of women and reflecting ethnic diversity.
Prepared by the United Nations.
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