In the House of Commons (650 seats) , there were over 32 million voters who elected 3,304 candidates. The turnout in this election was higher than in other recent elections: 68.7% of all registered voters, 72 percent of the youth, turned up to vote, compared to 40 percent in the preceding elections. The British do democracy that way. Elections have been held in the US, France, Iran, and Malta in recent months. Later this year, elections will be held in Germany. Political parties with a specific economic, ideological, or social platform are the basis for elections in some nations, such as the UK. Parties in other nations are founded on individual personalities.
The role of elections in democratic systems
We elect representatives using voting methods, often known as electoral systems. The rules governing the election of parties and candidates are established by a voting system. Voting is a basic political right, and the electoral system regulates the exercise of this right. The manner in which votes are cast and counted influences which political party, or group of parties, can create a government, the way in which the representatives are in touch with the masses, and the composition of the democratic chamber. The type of government that may be established and the choices made by people when voting or casting their votes may be affected by the kind of electoral system that is used. As a result, electoral systems define the nature of the political system.
A limited percentage of adult males were eligible to vote in parliamentary elections to the Parliament of England, which were held at irregular intervals starting in 1265 in the Kingdom of England (into which Wales was integrated from 1542). The parliamentary franchise was restricted to forty-shilling freeholders starting in 1432. Once more, only a small percentage of adults were involved in the distinct development of the Scottish Parliament’s franchise. The ideas of regular parliaments and free elections were established by the Claim of Right Act 1689 in Scotland and the Bill of Rights 1689 in England, but at the time the United Kingdom was formed, there had been no notable adjustments to the electoral franchise.
Types of elections in the UK
The United Kingdom has five different types of elections: local elections, mayoral elections, devolved parliament and assembly elections, House of Commons elections (commonly known as general elections when all the seats are available), and elections to the office of Police and Crime Commissioner. There might also be by-elections within each of those groups. Election Day, which is often a Thursday, is the day of the election. The Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022 allows the prime minister to choose when to hold general elections for any five years. Although some special situations may lead to early elections to the devolved assemblies and parliaments, all other elections are conducted at predetermined times. The Electoral Commission is in charge of running elections in the country, and it sets rules and regulations for returning officers and election registration officials.
1. General elections
After Parliament is dissolved, general elections are held in the United Kingdom. Every member of Parliament (MP) who makes up the UK Parliament’s House of Commons is chosen by election. Parliamentary terms are five years after the Dissolution and Calling of Parliament Act 2022, unless the monarch dissolves Parliament earlier at the prime minister’s request. Voting day is 25 working days following dissolution under the Act (before, a minimum time of 17 working days applied). All parliamentary business finishes at this point, and an MP’s job expires until after election day.
Political parties select candidates or independent candidates for each constituency. Only one independent was elected in the 2010 election, and nearly all victorious candidates are party members. Using the first-past-the-post election method, one MP is chosen from each constituency. 646 MPs were elected to the 2005 general election since there were 646 constituencies. There were 650 Members of Parliament at the 2017 election.
2. Local elections
In the UK, council members are chosen through local elections to create local administrations. There are numerous levels of local government, including regional, county, district/borough, town/parish, and several regions that elect their own mayors. Local elections are held using a range of voting methods. While the majority of England and Wales use the single-member plurality system, Scotland and Northern Ireland use the single transferable vote system. Except for elections for the Mayor and Assembly of the Greater London Authority (GLA), the plurality at-large system is used in Wales and the rest of England, including all of the London Boroughs. The supplemental vote (SV) mechanism was utilized for mayoral elections before the Elections Act 2022.
3. Devolved elections
Devolution, which was formerly called home rule, is a legal process whereby the UK parliament surrenders more power to parts of the country, such as Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and parts of England, more so to London and the combined authorities. The Scottish Government, Welsh Government, and Northern Ireland Executive are the respective executive governments endowed with the statutory powers vested in the Scottish Parliament, Senedd (Welsh Parliament), and Northern Ireland Assembly, respectively.
The London Assembly is in charge of the Mayor of London and Greater London Authority, and a few mayoral combined authorities throughout England since 2011, have also been bestowed with wide accountability and oversight powers. Additional devolution proposals have been made in England, including unsuccessful plans for regional assemblies, national devolution, and regional devolution (to places like Cornwall or northern England).
Elections as a mechanism for representation in the UK
In a democracy, the conditions are set up to enable citizens to fulfill their human wants, desires, and ambitions. This involves being in charge of their own surroundings. Therefore, democracy is more than just elections, albeit elections are a necessary practice to make this possible. Elections that allow democracy to be delivered are referred to as having electoral integrity. Elections can disempower individuals if these principles are not followed, but they have integrity if they empower people through four essential techniques.
First and foremost, contestation, which gives individuals the opportunity to run for office, and fair competition between parties and candidates should be made possible via elections. Second, elections ought to encourage participation, which gives individuals more power by allowing them to cast a ballot. Thirdly, elections ought to facilitate discussion, which can bridge societal divides and produce well-reasoned conclusions. Fourth, to enable citizens to obtain electoral justice, elections should have robust adjudicatory procedures.
Voter participation and its Impact on democratic health
Voters must participate and cast ballots when they can for democracy to realize its full potential. Despite this, governments and groups may encounter challenges in increasing voter turnout. We will go into great detail about this problem in this blog post. In particular, we present a number of possible reasons for the declining trend in voter turnout as well as solutions. The sustainability of a thriving, representative democracy depends on adequate voter participation, which is by no means a complete indicator of a nation’s level of democracy. The explanation is straightforward: voters have greater faith in the government and its choices when there are more individuals casting ballots. Over time, this reinforces itself because increased voter turnout can also result from better levels of trust. Philosopher John Stuart Mill asserts that governments are “made what they are by human voluntary agency” and that their proper operation requires “not simple acquiescence, but their active participation.”
In general, knowledgeable voters make the greatest choices. When voters have more information about the stands taken by candidates on the subjects that are of interest to them, they have a high chance of casting their ballots as intended. Nevertheless, the information asymmetry concept and its possible influence on the voting turnout are not limited to being informed about the identities of the candidates. Examples of election-related information include the voting registration status, the place where a voter casts his ballot, and the content that will appear on the ballots, among other relevant information. Asymmetry in information takes place whereby electorates belonging to specific groups or those in specific locations have access to this information more easily. Turnout decreases when it becomes more expensive for residents to access this information, frequently as a result of policy or technological shortcomings.
Challenges to democratic promotion through elections
Elections in the UK face several challenges that affect their ability to promote democracy fully:
1. Electoral integrity and independence
The weakening of the integrity of elections is being feared because of the recent changes in the law, including the Elections Act 2022, which diminishes the autonomy of electoral institutions and creates voter ID prerequisites that can present obstacles to certain populations.
2. Barriers to voting
The requirement for photographic voter ID has made it harder for some voters, including disabled people and the unemployed, to access the vote. Lack of appropriate ID ownership and low awareness of support measures are significant obstacles.
3. Media influence and free speech
The media monopoly on the ownership of media and the appointment of government officials to state-owned media have caused concerns about the issue of media bias and curbing the freedom of speech that is essential in informed voter choice.
4. Influence of ‘Dark Money’
The increasing role of undisclosed or opaque funding in elections threatens transparency and equal influence among candidates and parties.
5. Elite dominance and representation
The representative election system often amplifies the voices of political elites and wealthy groups, limiting full representation of the collective will of the population, contributing to systemic inequalities.
6. Administrative capacity and election delivery
Electoral authorities face stretched resources and challenges in recruiting staff, especially with new legislative changes adding complexity, potentially affecting smooth election conduct.
7. Democratic norm erosion
Cases of elected leaders violating codes of conduct and democratic practices undermine the confidence of people in the democratic process. All these aspects together pose a challenge in how to make the elections serve best the elements of democratic participation, fairness, and confidence in the UK system.
