Electoral system in The UK

There are six types of elections in the United

Electoral system in The USA

The United States is a federation, with elected officials at

Kingdom: United Kingdom general elections, elections

the federal (national), state and local levels. On a national

to devolved parliaments and assemblies, elections to

level, thehead of state, the President, is elected indirectly

the European Parliament, local elections, mayoral

by the people, through an Electoral College. Today, the

elections and Police and Crime

electors virtually always vote with the popular vote of their

Commissioner elections.

state. All members of the federal legislature,

the Congress, are directly elected.

Elections are held on Election Day, which is

conventionally a Thursday. General elections did not

There are many elected offices at state level, each state

have fixed dates, with a necessity for them to be called

having at least an elective governor and legislature.

within five years of the opening of parliament following

There are also elected offices at the local level, in

the last election, before the passing of the Fixed-term

counties and cities. It is estimated that across the whole

Parliaments Act 2011. Other elections are held on fixed

country, over one million offices are filled in every

dates, though in the case of the devolved assemblies

electoral cycle.

and parliaments early elections can occur in certain

situations.

State law regulates most aspects of the election, including

primaries, the eligibility of voters (beyond the basic

Currently, six electoral systems are used: the single

constitutional definition), the running of each state's

member plurality system (First Past the Post), the multi

electoral college, and the running of state and local

member plurality system, party list PR, the single

elections. The United States Constitution defines (to a

transferable vote, the Additional Member System and

basic extent) how federal elections are held, in Article

theSupplementary Vote.

One and Article Two and variousamend-ments. The

federal government has also been involved in attempts to

Elections are administered locally: in each lower-tier

increase voter turnout, by measures such as theNational

local authority, the actual polling procedure is run by

Voter Registration Act of 1993.

the Acting Returning Officer or Returning Officer and

the compiling and maintenance of the electoral roll by

The President and the Vice President are elected together

the Electoral Registration Officer (except in Northern

in a Presidential election. It is an indirect election, with the

Ireland, where the Electoral Office for Northern

winner being determined by votes cast by electors of

Ireland assumes both responsibilities).

theElectoral College. In modern times, voters in each

state select a slate of electors from a list of several slates

The Electoral Commission only sets standards for and

designated by different parties or candidates, and the

issues guidelines to Returning Officers and Electoral

electors typically promise in advance to vote for the

Registration Officers, but is responsible for nationwide

candidates of their party (whose names of the presidential

electoral administration (such as the registration of

candidates usually appear on the ballot rather than those

political parties and directing the administration of

of the individual electors). The winner of the election is the

national referendums).

candidate with at least 270 Electoral College votes. It is

possible for a candidate to win the electoral vote, and lose
the (nationwide) popular vote (receive fewer votes
nationwide than the second ranked candidate). Until
the Twelfth Amendment to the United States
Constitution of 1804, the runner-up in a Presidential

election became the Vice President.