What is FPTP?
First past the post system is one the most popular techniques of the voting system where voters vote for their candidate and the one who secures the highest votes wins the election. Indeed, one of the simplest techniques to achieve adult suffrage where the party which secures a majority that is more than 50 percent of constituency seats wins and can form the government. For example, in the Lok Sabha elections, the winning number is 273 or more. Each constituency elects one representative. In this system, electors vote for candidate and not for the political party. A party may get more seats than votes in the legislature. For example in India, United Kingdom, Bangladesh,Brazil, etc
In India LOK SABHA elections as well as STATE ASSEMBLY elections are conducted through this method which is different from the one used for electing PRESIDENT, VICE-PRESIDENT, members of RAJYA SABHA, and members of LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL which uses PR (Proportional Representation system)
So, what is Proportional representation then??
This system is a bit complicated than FPTP hence is not used in general elections but is more representative than FPTP. Say for example in the PR System, candidates get votes according to ranking through preferences by their voters. It’s an electoral system in which the seat distribution corresponds closely with the proportion of the total voted for each party. If a party wins over 60 % of the vote, it wins over 60 % of the seats hence votes become equal to seats. More than one representative may be elected from one constituency. Electors votes for the political party and not for the candidate. Countries that follow PR system are Nepal,Russia, Netherlands,Israel etc
