Electoral systems have gone through a long evolutionary path. As a result of almost three centuries of development, representative democracy has developed two main forms of citizen participation in the formation of public authorities and local self-government: majoritarian and proportional electoral systems.
Based on them in modern conditions mixed forms are also used... Considering these systems, let us pay special attention to the fact that they differ not so much in formal aspects as in the political goals achieved when using these electoral systems.
· Majority electoral system characterized by the fact that A candidate (or a list of candidates) who has received the majority of votes provided by law is considered elected to a particular elective body.
Most are different . There are electoral systems requiring an absolute majority (this is 50% + 1 vote or more). Such an electoral system exists, for example, in Australia.
Majority system of the relative majority means that the one who gets more votes than each of his rivals wins the election .
Majority electoral system is called “The system of the first to come to the finish line”. They also say about her - "Winner takes all."
Currently such a system operates in four countries - USA, Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand .
Sometimes both varieties of the majority system are used simultaneously.. For instance, in France, an absolute majority system is used in the first round of elections, and a relative one in the second.
Under the majoritarian system, as a rule, direct ties arise and strengthen between the candidate (hereinafter the deputy) and the voters. .
The candidates are well aware of the state of affairs in their constituencies, the interests of voters, they are personally familiar with their most active representatives. Accordingly, voters have an idea of who they trust to express their interests in the government.
It's obvious that under the majoritarian system, representatives of the stronger political current in the country win the elections. In turn, this contributes to the ousting of representatives of small and medium-sized parties from parliament and other authorities.
The majority system contributes to the emergence and strengthening of the tendency to become in countries where it is used, two- or three-party systems .
· Proportional electoral system means that mandates are distributed in strict proportion to the number of votes cast.
This system is common in modern world wider than the majority. In Latin American countries, for example, elections are held only on a proportional basis .
When using a proportional electoral system, the goal is to ensure broad and proportional representation in government of political parties, as well as social and national groups. .
This system contributes to the development of a multi-party system ... She used in Australia, Belgium, Sweden, Israel and many other countries.
Like the majority, proportional system has varieties . There are two types of it:
· national proportional electoral system... In this case, voters vote for political parties nationwide. No electoral districts are allocated;
· proportional electoral system based on multi-member constituencies. In this case deputy mandates are distributed based on the influence of political parties in constituencies.
Majority and proportional electoral systems have their own advantages and disadvantages ... Let's dwell on them in more detail.
Among positive properties majoritarian electoral system what is in it opportunities for the formation of an efficient and stable government are laid.
The fact is that it allows large, well-organized political parties to win elections easily and create one-party governments .
Practice shows that the authorities created on this basis are stable and capable of pursuing a firm state policy . The examples of the USA, England and other countries are quite convincing evidence of this.
but the majority system has a number of significant drawbacks. Under the majoritarian system, for the distribution of parliamentary mandates, only the fact that a candidate receives a majority of votes matters. The votes cast for all other candidates are not taken into account and in this sense are lost..
Interested forces can manipulate the will of voters under the majoritarian system ... In particular, significant opportunities are contained in the "geography" of constituencies .
Experience shows that the rural population votes more traditionally than the urban population. Interested political forces take this circumstance into account when forming electoral districts. ... As many constituencies as possible are allocated with a predominance of the rural population.
In this way, the disadvantages of the majoritarian electoral system are very significant. The main one is that a significant part of the country's voters (sometimes up to 50%) remains unrepresented in the government.
The advantages of a proportional electoral system include the fact that the authorities formed with its help present a real picture of the political life of society, the alignment of political forces.
She provides a feedback system between government and civil society organizations , as a result, contributes to the development of political pluralism and a multi-party system.
but the system under consideration has very significant drawbacks . (Example Italy using this system: 52 governments have changed since 1945 ).
The main disadvantages of this system can be summarized as follows.
Firstly , under a proportional electoral system, it is difficult to form a government . Reasons: absence of a dominant party with a clear and firm program; creation of multi-party coalitions, including parties with different goals and objectives. Governments created on this basis are fragile.
Secondly , A proportional electoral system results in political forces that do not enjoy support throughout the country gaining representation in government bodies.
Thirdly , under a proportional electoral system due to the fact that voting is carried out not for specific candidates, but for parties, the direct connection between deputies and voters is very weak.
Fourth,since in this system voting is for political parties, this circumstance contributes to the dependence of deputies on these parties. This lack of freedom for parliamentarians can adversely affect the process of discussion and adoption of important documents.
The disadvantages of the proportional system are obvious and significant. Therefore, there are numerous attempts to eliminate or at least mitigate them. This left a visible imprint on the proportional electoral systems themselves..
World practice shows that if the majority systems are relatively the same, then all proportional systems are different .
The proportional system of each country has its own specifics, which depends on its historical experience, the established political system and other circumstances.
Although all proportional systems have as their goal the achievement of proportional representation, this goal is realized to varying degrees.
According to this criterion Three types of proportional electoral systems can be distinguished.
1. Systems that fully implement the principle of proportionalism;
2. Insufficient proportional electoral systems;
3. Systems that, although they achieve proportionality between the votes cast and the mandates received, however, provide for various barriers to the penetration of representatives of some political forces into parliament.
An example is the FRG electoral system. Here, candidates from political parties that did not receive 5% of the votes within the borders of the entire country do not get into parliament. This "electoral meter" is used in a number of other states.
As already emphasized, electoral systems have come a long way in their development. During this process (in the post-war period) the formation of a mixed electoral system began, that is, a system that should incorporate the positive characteristics of both the majoritarian and proportional electoral systems.
The essence of the mixed electoral system is that a certain part of the deputy mandates are distributed in accordance with the principles of the majority system. It contributes to the formation of sustainable government .
An essential part of the political process in a democratic country - elections. The elections are beneficial from an economic point of view. If not, then alternative one is the maintenance of a huge repressive apparatus.
The will of the people must be expressed through periodic, rigged elections. Free and fair elections are a prerequisite and element of democracy. If the society recognizes the results of the elections, then it is a democratic society.
Elections are a procedure by which citizens nominate the people they need to pursue their interests.
1. Peaceful transfer of power through the expression of the will of citizens;
2. Participation of Citizens in Governing the Country(through the formation of representative bodies of power);
3. Population control over power(before the elections, the government often changes policy to get closer to the people. It is difficult to rule without legitimacy);
4. Society gets a real opportunity to choose and change one or another political course(elections are a political market. Applicants offer us their qualities, programs, experience, in exchange of our votes they will receive power).
The electoral system is a set of rules, principles, norms, techniques established by law, with the help of which the results of voting are determined and distributed deputy mandates.
The right to vote is a set of norms that determine the procedure for elections.
1. Majority (majority system (principle))... It applies to individual candidates for public office, as well as to political parties that wish to be elected to a representative body. Under the majoritarian system, the person who won the majority of votes is considered elected to a public office. In the conditions of the majority system, only one subject can be the winner. It is the majority system that is used in Belarus, but it is applied only to individual candidates, but not to political parties. There are several types of the majority system:
a. Absolute majority system : An elected person is a person who has received more than half of the votes (50% +1) from the voters who appeared. The constituencies are single-member. The second round is held in 2 weeks; They contribute to the formation of stable party blocs.
b. Plurality system: The elected person is the person who received more votes than any of his competitors (40% and 30% and 20%); constituencies are single-member. Used in Great Britain and its former colonies, in the USA. This system is more efficient, economical, and gives results already in the first round. If the candidates have received the same number of votes, then the lot is used, looking at the age of the candidate. This system forms a bipartisan system.
c. Super majority system : in this case, to be elected, it is necessary to get an even larger number of votes than with an absolute majority system, for example, 2/3 of the votes or another percentage. Before the amendments were made to the Constitution of Kazakhstan, it stated that a presidential candidate who received more than 60% of the votes was considered elected.
In Belarus at the presidential elections and in elections to Parliament, a majoritarian system of absolute majority is used. However, for elections to local councils of deputies, a majoritarian system of relative majority was introduced several years ago.
Majority electoral system provided by the legislation of most countries of the world (USA, UK, France).
Ø taking into account the opinion of the majority;
Ø formation of a stable government;
Ø such a system personifies elections, voters vote not only for a party, but for an individual;
Ø allows independent candidates to participate in elections;
Ø stimulates the consolidation of parties;
Ø easier to control the process.
Ø does not fully express the political will of the population;
Ø losers get no seats at all;
Ø the principle of universality is violated;
Ø does not provide a ratio between the number of votes that a party will receive in the country as a whole and the number of its representatives in Parliament.
2. Proportional electoral system. It only applies to political parties. In this case, several political parties can be elected, the number of seats of which in the representative body (Parliament) will depend (be proportional) on the number of votes cast for them. The seats are distributed among the parties in accordance with the number of votes cast for them.
(electoral quota: how much does one seat cost)
The larger the electoral threshold, the fewer parties there will be in Parliament. The threshold can be used to regulate their number.
Ø takes into account the various interests of voters;
Ø reflects the real balance of power;
Ø enhances the political culture of voters;
Ø stimulates the interest of the population in the activities of parties.
The proportional electoral system has been introduced today in about 60 countries of the world, including Russia, Israel, Denmark, and Turkmenistan.
Ø inconsistency may occur with multiple parties;
Ø contributes to the growth of the number of parties, which, as a rule, are unstable (it can be regulated through the electoral threshold);
Ø the role of small parties is growing;
Ø the parties begin to be reborn;
Ø personal qualities of candidates are not evaluated.
Political outcome- the emergence and development of small parties. This system encourages multiparty
· Closed party list. Voters have the right to vote only for the party. Voters cannot change it;
· Open list. Voters can change the preference (numbering) of candidates;
· Semi-rigid list. The first place is always given to the leader of the party, and the rest of the seats are appointed by the people (Netherlands, Denmark, Austria);
· Panning. Blocking candidates from different parties (Switzerland, Luxembourg). Voters have multiple votes (for example, 5).
Mixed electoral system. In order to avoid some of the shortcomings of the majoritarian and proportional systems, some states use a mixed electoral system: some of the seats in the body being represented are filled under the majoritarian system, and the other part within the proportional system, for example, in Georgia.
In a broad sense, the electoral system is understood as a set of social relations that develop in connection with the formation of public authorities and local government through the implementation of the electoral rights of citizens. With this approach, the electoral system includes the principles and conditions for citizens' participation in elections, the procedure for their appointment, preparation and conduct, the range of subjects of the electoral process, the rules for determining the voting results and determining the election results. The electoral system in a broad sense is essentially equated with an electoral campaign, which is an activity on the preparation of elections carried out from the day of the official publication of the decision on the appointment of elections to the day the commission organizing the elections submits a report on the expenditure of budget funds allocated for their conduct. For this reason, the use of the concept of an electoral system in a broad sense is hardly justified.
A narrow understanding of the electoral system is associated, as a rule, with the methods (techniques) of determining the voting results and determining the winner in the elections and is considered as a kind of legal formula by which the results of the election campaign at the final stage of elections are determined. So, in accordance with Art. 23 of the Federal Law "On general principles local government organizations in Russian Federation»The electoral system during municipal elections means the conditions for recognizing a candidate (candidates) as elected (elected), lists of candidates admitted to the distribution of deputy mandates, as well as the procedure for distributing deputy mandates between lists of candidates and within lists of candidates. At the same time, one should not forget that the rules for summing up the voting results depend, in addition to the methods of determining the result, on a number of electoral actions that have a direct impact on the decision to elect a particular candidate. Proceeding from this, in a legal sense, a narrow understanding of the electoral system is preferable to link with a set of norms that enshrine the rules:
formation of constituencies;
nominating candidates (lists of candidates);
defining the role of political parties (electoral associations) in elections;
approval of the form of the ballot paper;
determining the election results and establishing the winners, including the distribution of deputy mandates between political parties(electoral associations);
holding, if necessary, a repeat voting (second round of elections);
filling vacant seats.
Types of electoral systems
In their totality, they give the most complete idea of the elements that form the electoral system, the various combination and content of which determine the selection different types electoral systems.
In the history of the development of electoral legislation, many approaches to the design of electoral systems have been formed. At the same time, the choice of this or that type of electoral system is one of the key issues of the country's political life, the solution of which is significantly influenced by the state of democratic development and the balance of political forces. It is no coincidence that the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation has come to this very conclusion. In the ruling of November 20, 1995 on the refusal to accept for consideration the request of a group of deputies The State Duma Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation and the request of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation to verify the constitutionality of a number of provisions of the Federal Law of June 21, 1995 "On the election of deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation" from specific socio-political conditions and is a matter of political expediency. In Russian conditions, this choice is made by the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation in accordance with the rules of legislative procedure. This circumstance, however, does not mean at all that the issue of the electoral system is purely political and devoid of legal meaning. The legal significance of the electoral system consists in the proper legislative consolidation of the entire set of rules governing relations related to the determination of election results, and forming legal registration electoral system, including the consolidation of its various types.
Current legislature on elections provides for the possibility of using the following types of electoral systems: majoritarian, proportional and mixed (majority-proportional) electoral systems.
Majority electoral system
The essence of the majoritarian system consists in dividing the territory in which elections are held into electoral districts in which voters personally vote for certain candidates. To be elected, a candidate (candidates, if elections are held in multi-member constituencies) must collect the majority of votes of the voters who took part in the voting. From a legal point of view, the majoritarian electoral system is distinguished by its versatility, which makes it possible to use it for the election of both collegial bodies and individual officials. The right to nominate candidates under this electoral system is vested with both citizens in the order of self-nomination, as well as political parties (electoral associations). In the event of the formation of vacant mandates, due, among other things, to the early termination of the powers of deputies (elected officials), it is mandatory to hold new (additional, early or repeated) elections.
The majoritarian electoral system has several varieties. Majoritarian electoral systems differ depending on the constituencies formed, which involve voting in a single constituency, single-mandate and multi-mandate constituencies. The majority system based on a single electoral district is used only for the election of officials. When electing deputies to legislative (representative) bodies of state power, representative bodies of municipalities, either single-mandate or multi-mandate constituencies are used. Moreover, the maximum number of mandates per multi-mandate constituency cannot exceed five. At the same time, this restriction does not apply to elections to local self-government bodies of a rural settlement, as well as other municipalities, the boundaries of a multi-member constituency of which coincide with the boundaries of a polling station.
Majority systems of relative, absolute and qualified majority are distinguished. The plurality system assumes that the election requires the highest number of votes in relation to other candidates. It can be applied at elections of deputies of legislative (representative) bodies of state power, representative bodies of municipal formations, as well as at elections of heads of municipal formations.
In an absolute majority system, a candidate must be elected to receive more than half of the votes cast by voters. If none of the candidates succeeds in obtaining such a number of votes, a second vote is taken for two candidates for whom the largest number of votes were cast in the first round of elections. To win the second round using such a system, it is enough to gain a relative majority of votes. The system of absolute majority is used at the elections of the President of the Russian Federation, as well as, if provided by the law of the subject of the Federation, at the elections of the heads of municipalities. In principle, its use cannot be ruled out in the elections of deputies of legislative (representative) bodies of state power, representative bodies of municipalities, however, such cases are not known to the current electoral legislation.
A qualified majority system is rare. It is based on the fact that in order to win the elections, it is necessary not only to gain this or that majority of votes, but the majority fixed in the law (at least 1/3, 2/3, 3/4) of the number of voters who voted. At present, it is practically not used, although earlier cases of its use took place in some constituent entities of the Federation. Thus, the now canceled Law of the Primorsky Territory of September 28, 1999 "On the election of the governor of the Primorsky Territory" provided that the candidate who received the largest number of votes, provided that it was at least 35% of the number of voters who participated in voting.
Proportional electoral system
The proportional electoral system is characterized by the following features. Its application is limited to elections of deputies of legislative (representative) bodies; it does not apply to the election of officers. Only political parties (electoral associations) have the right to nominate candidates. Under such a system, voters do not vote personally for candidates, but for lists of candidates (party lists) nominated by electoral associations, and lists of candidates that have overcome the barrier, i.e. those who have collected the minimum required number of votes established by law, which do not may exceed 1% of the number of voters who took part in the voting. The resulting vacancies will be mixed by the next in the order of priority candidates from the lists of candidates (party lists) admitted to the distribution of mandates, as a result of which the holding of additional elections is not envisaged.
Russian legislation there are two types of proportional electoral system, conditioned by the use of closed (hard) or open (soft) lists of candidates. When voting on closed lists, a voter has the right to cast his vote only for one or another list of candidates as a whole. Open lists allow a voter to vote not only for a specific list of candidates, but also for one or more candidates within that list. In our country, a clear preference is given to closed lists. Voting on open lists is provided only in a few constituent entities of the Federation (Republic of Kalmykia, Tver Region, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug).
The proportional electoral system is used in the elections of deputies to the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. In the constituent entities of the Federation, it is rarely found in its pure form (Dagestan, Ingushetia, Amur Region, Sverdlovsk region, St. Petersburg). As for municipal elections, a proportional electoral system is generally uncharacteristic for them. A rare exception in this respect is the city of S pass k-Dalny Primorsky Krai, the charter of which provides for the election of all deputies of the city district according to party lists.
Mixed electoral system
A mixed (majority-proportional) electoral system is a combination of the majoritarian and proportional systems with a legislatively established number of deputy mandates distributed for each of them. Its application allows you to combine the advantages and smooth out the disadvantages of the majority and proportional systems. At the same time, political parties (electoral associations) are able to nominate the same persons as candidates both in the party list and in single-member (multi-member) electoral districts. The law only requires that in the case of simultaneous nomination in a single-mandate (multi-mandate) constituency and as part of the list of candidates, this information must be indicated in the ballot prepared for voting in the corresponding single-mandate (multi-mandate) constituency.
The mixed system is currently used in the elections of legislative (representative) bodies of state power in almost all subjects of the Federation. This is due to the fact that the Federal Law "On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right to Participate in a Referendum of Citizens of the Russian Federation" (Article 35) requires that at least half of the deputy mandates in the legislative (representative) body of state power of the subject of the Federation or in one of the its chambers were to be distributed among the lists of candidates nominated by electoral associations in proportion to the number of votes received by each of the lists of candidates.
When elections of deputies of representative bodies of municipalities are held, the mixed majority-proportional system is used much less frequently. In all likelihood, this is due to the fact that federal legislation does not require the mandatory use of elements of the proportional system in relation to the municipal level of formation of representative bodies of power.
Issues attributed to the jurisdiction of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.
The jurisdiction of the State Duma includes the solution of the following issues:
1. consent to the President of Russia for the appointment of the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation;
2. resolution of the issue of confidence in the Government of the Russian Federation;
3. Appointment and dismissal of the Chairman of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the Chairman of the Accounts Chamber and half of its auditors, the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Russian Federation (acts on the basis of the federal constitutional law);
4. announcement of amnesty;
5. the presentation of charges against the President of Russia for his removal from office.
The State Duma adopts Resolutions on issues attributed to its jurisdiction by the Constitution of Russia. Resolutions are adopted by a majority vote of the total number of deputies, unless a different procedure for adoption is provided for by the Constitution of Russia.
Speaking about electoral law and the electoral system in the Russian Federation, it is necessary to disclose a number of basic terms and concepts used in Russian legislation.
Elections - the most important institution of modern democracy, a form of direct expression of the will of citizens, carried out in accordance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation, federal laws, constitutions (statutes), laws of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, statutes of municipalities in order to form a government body, local government body or empower an official.
Elections as a constitutional and legal institution of political regulation, they solve several problems:
- firstly, they legitimize the authorities. It is through elections, not appointments, that the people determine their representatives and give them the mandate to exercise their sovereign rights;
- secondly, they serve as a barometer of political life. It is the election results that give an objective assessment of the authority, "rating" of certain political forces, show the mood of voters, determine the tendencies of political life;
- thirdly, elections are a means of selecting political leaders and their political concepts. This enables citizens to delegate leadership and powers to those individuals and political forces whose views and programs seemed most convincing to voters.
Thus, elections, like a referendum, are a legalized form of direct popular expression of will, an important manifestation of democracy through which citizens exercise their right to participate in the management of public affairs.
Direct and indirect elections. The former are characterized by the fact that the issue of election is decided directly by citizens. For indirect elections, it is characteristic that the issue of election is decided not by citizens, but by the persons they have elected - electors, deputies, etc. Indirect elections are often used to elect the upper chambers of parliaments, sometimes presidents, governments, judges, etc.
General (general) and partial elections. General elections presuppose the participation of all voters in the country (for example, elections for the lower or the only one, less often for the upper house of parliament, presidential elections). Partial elections (sometimes called supplementary) are held when it is necessary to replenish the composition of parliament due to the early retirement of individual deputies.
There are also elections national (held nationwide) and regional, local (local) through which local governments are elected.
Elections can be held in one, two rounds or more. If the elections did not take place, then repeated elections are held.
Finally, there are elections regular and extraordinary . As a rule, this division refers to parliamentary elections. Regular elections are held either within the terms specified in the Constitution or in the law, or are appointed in connection with the expiration of the term of office of the parliament. Extraordinary elections are called in the event of an early dissolution of the parliament or chamber.
The term, " electoral system "Is used in two meanings. In a broad sense, it is orderly social relations associated with the elections of public authorities, constituting the procedure for elections. In a narrow sense, the "electoral system" is a way of distributing deputy mandates by candidates, depending on the results of voting by voters or other administrative persons.
A simpler definition of the term "electoral system" implies the procedure for organizing and holding elections to representative institutions, enshrined in legal norms, as well as determined by the established practice of state and public organizations.
The electoral law in the Russian Federation involves the use of various electoral systems.
Majority electoral system- this is one of the main ways of holding parliamentary and other elections. Under the majoritarian system, a candidate acts in his personal capacity (he can be nominated by a party or in some other way) and, in order to be elected, must receive the required majority of votes in the constituency where he is running.
Depending on what the required majority is established by law and how many deputies each electoral district sends to parliament or other elected body, there are several types of the majoritarian system.
With a single-member system of relative majority the territory of the country is divided into electoral districts of approximately equal population size, in each of which one deputy is elected and the winner is the candidate who received more votes than the others. One round of elections is sufficient for this.
Under a single-mandate system of absolute majority in order to be elected, a candidate must not only receive more votes than his rivals, but also collect more than half (50 percent + 1) of the votes cast in the elections. If in the first round none of the candidates has achieved such a result, a second round is appointed, in which two candidates who receive the largest number of votes in the first round go. A deputy is considered elected if he receives more votes than his rival.
In a multi-member system, two (or more) deputies are elected from each of the constituencies. As a rule, these are one-round elections based on the principle of relative majority.
The disadvantage of the majoritarian system is that it makes possible a sharp discrepancy between the number of mandates received by a political party or other electoral associations and the number of votes collected nationwide (or the region where elections are held). However, this system enables the voter to assess the personality of a particular candidate, rather than voting for a party list (largely impersonal).
Proportional electoral system, applies only in a multi-party system. Unlike the majoritarian electoral system, a voter does not vote for a specific candidate, but for one of the lists submitted by political parties or electoral associations admitted to participate in the elections.
The technique of the proportional system, as a rule, is as follows: each subject of the federation (for example, land, autonomous region) or administrative-territorial unit (region, department) is considered as an electoral district that elects a certain number of deputies according to the size of its population. Parties submit lists where the number of candidates is equal, or, which is more common, slightly more than the number of mandates to be replaced.
A party wins as many mandates as the number of times a mathematically determined electoral quota fits into the number of valid votes received by the party's list. The procedure for determining the quota is established by law, and various methods are applied.
In most countries applying the proportional system, only those political parties are allowed to the distribution of mandates, the lists of which received more than a certain established percentage of voters, usually more than 5 percent (the so-called “barrier”, designed to prevent excessive political groups in parliament).
The advantage of the proportional system in comparison with the majority system is that it gives more opportunities to represent the entire spectrum of the country's main political forces in parliament. The disadvantage is that the proportional system makes elections largely impersonal - many candidates on party lists are little known to voters.
In the modern era, in an increasing number of countries, the proportional system is used in combination with the majority system (the so-called mixed system).
Such mixed system was used in the parliamentary elections in Russia in 1993, 1995 and 1999. Half of the deputies of the lower house - the State Duma - were elected according to party lists, and the other - according to a one-mandate one-round majority system of a relative majority (for this, the territory of the country was divided into 225 single-mandate constituencies).
The Federation Council - the upper house - was elected in 1993 under a two-mandate, one-round, plurality electoral system: each constituent entity of the federation acted as an electoral district. About 40 percent of the voters who took part in the elections voted for all the deputies elected to the State Duma in single-mandate constituencies; the percentage of those who voted for the deputies of the Federation Council was slightly higher.
At present, the upper house of the Federal Assembly consists of the heads of the executive branch and representative bodies of the subjects of the federation (i.e., two members of the Federation Council from each subject of the federation).
As a result of the use of the above electoral systems in the Russian Federation, conditions and guarantees have been created for the exercise of electoral rights and the right to participate in a referendum for Russian citizens, a system of independent electoral commissions has been formed, and the latest electoral technologies are being developed and introduced.
Depending on the procedure for determining the election results, electoral systems are usually divided into two types: majoritarian and proportional.
The majority system is a system in which the candidate who receives the majority of votes established by law is considered elected.
It is the most common in elections and is practically the only one possible when one official (president, governor, etc.) is elected. If it is used for the election of a collegial body of government (house of parliament), constituencies are created single-member, i.e. in each of them one deputy must be elected.
The majority system has varieties due to different requirements for the size of the majority of votes required for the election. The simplest variation is a plurality system, in which the candidate who receives more votes than any of the other candidates is considered elected. This system is used in parliamentary elections in Russia as well. It is often used in local elections. Under this system, the more candidates running for one seat, the fewer votes are required to be elected. In Russia, it is stipulated that elections to government bodies are recognized by the relevant election commission as invalid if less than 20% of the number of voters included in the voter lists took part in them. Rendered minimum percentage can be upgraded for elections in federal bodies state power, state power bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The federal law of 18.05.2005 "On the elections of deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation" ... increased the specified minimum to 25%. In addition, in order to win an election in a single-mandate constituency, a candidate needs the plurality obtained to be greater than the number of votes cast against all candidates. Otherwise, the elections will be declared invalid.
Majority system of absolute majority - a system in which a candidate must receive more than half of the votes (50% + 1 vote) to be elected. As a rule, the total number of votes cast serves as the basis for counting. Under an absolute majority system, the more candidates in a constituency, the less likely it is that one of them will receive an absolute majority of the votes. Therefore, elections under this system often turn out to be ineffective. The ineffectiveness is overcome by re-ballot the candidates who have collected a certain share of the votes. This is the so-called second round of elections (repeated voting). The Federal Law "On Elections of the President of the Russian Federation" provides for a re-ballot of the two candidates who received the largest number of votes in the first round. A relative majority of votes are sufficient for election in the second round. In Russia, the electoral system of two rounds is used in the elections of senior officials (heads of executive power) of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and sometimes in municipalities.
Proportional system (proportional representation of parties and movements). Under this system, each party receives a number of seats in parliament proportional to the number of votes cast for its candidates in the elections.
Voting under the proportional system is conducted in multi-member constituencies, in which the lists of candidates nominated by political parties and movements compete. The voter chooses not between persons, as in the majority system, but between parties (movements) and votes for the list of candidates. The proportional system gives rise to the political fragmentation of the parliament, i.e. the emergence of many small factions, which hinders the constructive work of parliament. To avoid this, an electoral threshold is introduced, i.e. sets the minimum percentage of votes that a party list of candidates must collect in order to participate in the proportional distribution of mandates. The Federal Law of May 18, 2005 "On the Election of Deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation" establishes that the distribution of mandates is allowed on federal lists of candidates, each of whom received seven or more percent of the votes of voters who took part in voting in a federal electoral district, provided that there were at least two such lists and for all these lists more than 60% of the votes cast by voters who took part in voting in the federal electoral district were submitted. In this case, other federal lists of candidates for the distribution of mandates are not allowed. But, if for the federal lists of candidates who have overcome the seven percent threshold, 60% or less percent of the votes cast in aggregate, then the distribution of mandates is admitted sequentially, in descending order of the number of votes received, lists of candidates with less than 7% of the votes, until the total number of voters' votes exceeds in aggregate, 60% of the votes cast.
The distribution of mandates under the proportional system takes place according to a certain methodology provided for in Art. 3 FZ "On the election of deputies of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation". The law includes changes in the procedure for determining election results from party lists in federal district... An essential point was the increase in the electoral barrier for candidates from the electoral association from 5 to 7% of the vote. This amendment has come into effect since 2007. At the same time, the condition is stipulated that for any result of voting, representatives of at least two electoral associations must be elected to the State Duma.
Semi-proportional systems. This system unites systems that, being based on the majority principle, i.e. on the requirement of a majority of votes for election, yet they give certain opportunities for representation to a minority of voters. This is achieved by using a limited vote, in which the voter votes not for the number of candidates equal to the number of deputies to be elected from the electoral district, but for less. Under this system, a party in a multi-member constituency does not nominate a list of candidates running as a whole, but individual candidates. A voter votes for only one candidate, although several deputies must be elected from the constituency. The candidates who receive the largest number of votes are considered elected.
The cumulative vote belongs to the same group of systems. A voter, for example, has three votes, which is less than the number of deputies from a given constituency, but he can dispose of his votes in three ways: either give all of them to one candidate, or give two votes to one candidate, and the third to another, or distribute one at a time. vote to three candidates. The system is considered suitable for small electoral units, in which voters know their candidates well and their political affiliation does not matter to voters.
Single transferable voice system. This system allows for the combination of personal choice with the provision of proportional representation of parties. However, it is difficult in terms of determining the election results. The essence of the system is as follows. In a multi-member constituency, candidates are nominated in the same manner as in the single non-transferable system, i.e. each party may nominate as many candidates as it deems necessary, and independent candidates are allowed. The voter acts as in a majoritarian system with alternative voting, i.e. opposite the surname of the desired candidate marks his preferences (preferences) indicating with the numbers 1, 2, 3, etc., whom he wants to see elected in the first place, and who in the second, etc. When determining the results of votes, the votes initially received by candidates at the first preference are counted. If no one has received an absolute majority of votes, then the votes cast for the least successful candidate are transferred to other candidates, and he himself is excluded from further counting. This procedure continues until a candidate obtains the required majority. The main advantage of the system is that it ensures the effectiveness of the elections and eliminates the need for a second round or re-ballot.
Mixed electoral systems. A mixed electoral system is said to be when different systems are used in the elections of the same representative chamber. At the same time, they strive to combine the advantages different systems and, if possible, eliminate or compensate for their shortcomings. In Russia, the mixed system was used until 2003 during the election of deputies to the State Duma of the Federal Assembly. 225 deputies were elected in single-mandate constituencies according to the majoritarian system of the relative majority, and the other 225 deputies - in the federal electoral district according to the proportional system, and the determination of the election results for the second half of the deputy corps has nothing to do with the results of the first half. The candidates who also ran in single-mandate constituencies, if elected there, are excluded from the federal lists.
The application of such a system is also envisaged during elections to the legislative bodies of state power of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The Federal Law "On Basic Guarantees of Electoral Rights and the Right to Participate in a Referendum of Citizens of the Russian Federation" established that at least half of the deputy mandates in the legislative (representative) body of state power of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation, or in one of its chambers, are distributed among the lists of candidates nominated by electoral associations , electoral blocs, in proportion to the number of votes received by each of the lists of candidates. Corresponding changes were made to the Federal Law of October 6, 1999 "On the General Principles of Organization of Legislative (Representative) and Executive Bodies of State Power of the Subjects of the Russian Federation". To date, all constituent entities of the Russian Federation have brought their electoral legislation in line with the provisions of the federal electoral legislation, i.e. consolidated the use of a mixed electoral system in elections.
