Electoral systems

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on electoral systems and voting methods. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

Date	Description
20.07.2011	Fixed Term Parliament Bill - Lords stages
	This standard note summarises the Lords stages of the Fixed-term Parliaments Bill
12.07.2011	AV and electoral reform
	The Coalition Programme of May 2010 included a commitment to introduce a Referendum Bill on electoral reform. The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill was introduced on 22 July 2010 and made provision for the introduction of the Alternative Vote system for the House of Commons if there is a positive result in the referendum to be held on 5 May 2011. The Bill received Royal Assent on 16 February 2011. This note provides a summary of the main provisions of the Act; full details on the introduction of the Bill are given in Library Research Paper 10/55.
15.02.2011	Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill: Lords stages
	This Note summarises the Lords stages of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill 2010-11. It supplements Research Paper 10/55 which was produced for the Bill's second reading in the House of Commons and Research Paper 10/72 which summarises all the Commons stages of the Bill.
06.09.2010	Fixed term parliaments
	This Note explains the term 'fixed term Parliaments' in respect of the UK Parliament. The new coalition Government has made a commitment to operate the current Parliament as a fixed term Parliament, and to introduce fixed term Parliaments for the future. A Bill to introduce five year fixed term Parliaments is scheduled for its second reading on 13 September 2010.
14.04.2010	Remaining stages of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill 2009-10
	This Note outlines the changes made to the Bill during report stage and third reading in the House of Commons, seconf reading in the Lords and during wash up.

Research Papers

Date	Description
16.11.2012	US Elections 2012
	Statistical summary of the 2012 US Presidential election, including detailed results of Presidential, Senate and Hosue of Representatives elections
19.05.2011	Alternative Vote Referendum 2011
	67.9% of voters opposed changing the electoral system to the Alternative Vote, in a UK wide referendum on 5 May 2011. Turnout was 42.0%. This Research Paper presents information on votes cast in each region and referendum counting area.
20.01.2011	Fixed-term Parliaments Bill: Commons Stages [Bill No 64 of 2010-11]
	This Research Paper summarises all the Commons stages of the Fixed-term Parliaments Bill. It complements Research Paper 10/54 which was prepared for the Commons Second Reading. No major amendments were made to the Bill during its Committee stage and no amendments were made during Report.
11.11.2010	Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill 2010-11: Commons Stages
	This Paper summarises all Commons stages of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill 2010-11. It supplements Research Paper 10/55 which was produced for the Bill's Second Reading and replaces Standard Note 5697 'Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill: Progress of the Bill'. No major changes were made during the passage of the Bill in the Commons, but the text of the referendum question was altered and legislative provision was made for the combination of polls on 5 May 2011.
01.09.2010	The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill [Bill 63 of 2010-11]
	This Paper has been prepared for the Second Reading debate in the House of Commons. The Bill seeks to enable the next general election to be fought under the Alternative Vote system, provided this change is endorsed in a referendum on 5 May 2011 and boundary changes have been made to reduce the size of the House of Commons to 600. New rules for the redistribution of seats are designed to give primacy to numerical equality in constituencies and regular redistributions would take place every five years.

Select Committee Reports

Date	Description
04.03.2011	Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill.
	Government response. Deputy Prime Minister report [Commons]
11.02.2011	Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill.
	Government response. Home Office report [Commons and Lords]
11.10.2010	Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill.
	Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee report [Commons]

Early Day Motions

Date	Description
23.11.2011	ELECTORAL SYSTEM IN WALES
	That this House recognises that the Government has no mandate to change the current system for elections to the Welsh Assembly; and believes that any proposals for change to that system ...
29.03.2011	MARKET POSITION OF ELECTORAL REFORM SERVICES
	That this House notes that Electoral Reform Services (ERS) is a business of the Electoral Reform Society Limited (ERSL); expresses concern at that company's undue dominance of the market ...
08.03.2011	ELECTORAL REFORM SOCIETY CONFLICT OF INTEREST WITH YES TO AV
	That this House notes with deep concern the potential conflict of interest that the Alternative Vote `Yes' campaign may be facing due to its links with and majority of funding from ...
01.02.2011	STOKE-ON-TRENT (ELECTORAL CHANGES) ORDER 2011
	That this House notes that the Stoke-on-Trent (Electoral Changes) Order 2011 seeks to implement the recommendations of the Electoral Commission's review of electoral arrangements for ...
16.09.2010	ELECTORAL REFORM AND THE SECOND BALLOT SYSTEM
	That this House believes that hon. Members should be elected with more than 50 per cent. of the vote; further believes that the constituency link must be retained; notes that the alternative ...

Lords Library Notes

Date	Description
09.11.2010	Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill (HL Bill 26 of 2010-11). LLN 2010/028
	Parliamentary Voting System and Constitutencies Bill. House of Lords Library Note 2010/028