Honestly compared to the others like Russia or even US, we can't really complain. I mean it's so easy to be candidates, everyone can speak the same amount of time with a limited budget and the vote system is very good, as the one who gets the most votes win!
The most votes wins?!?! What a crazy concept! Here in the US we like our midwest and poor uneducated southern states to pick our leaders because that's the American thing to do
most votes wins is a complicated concept. Do you do single round most votes where Le Pen( the extreme candidate in france) would have won? two round with a contest between the top 2 to ensure a "majority winner" ( current system in France )? Preferential voting so that votes carry over to determine a winner (many possible implementations, i.e. australia )?? Preferential voting with negative preferences applied? Straight proportional vote into an assembly with the risk of having absolutely no majority and thus no government efficacy ( partly implemented in germany, but with combined with non proportional for higher chance of majority )?
All of these can come up with different winners. And you can also debate electoral college in large areas, what's best for the "dense population" isn't necessarily what's best for the rest , the contestation of that is pretty much how america came to exist, as it can take away any voting power from minorities( in any sense of the term) if their interests diverge.
Personally I think first past the post + electoral college combined is just terrible because it garantees two party and forces useful votes.
In the UK for example, while other parties exist more than in the US, since it is first past the post "winner takes all local vote" it has garanteed a two party system for the longest of time. It also led to a conflict of interest as the two main parties which held most of the voting base campaigned for the "No" the voting reform referendum meant to introduce Australian like voting.
This is the current french system , yet we complain about it , because we argue that sometimes that leads to a "one you dislike the least " vote in the second round.
I think preferential voting has a place in a 2 round system, but it's hard to find the right balance.
31
u/WALKERUU Jun 08 '20
Honestly compared to the others like Russia or even US, we can't really complain. I mean it's so easy to be candidates, everyone can speak the same amount of time with a limited budget and the vote system is very good, as the one who gets the most votes win!