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TheElectoralSystem------BritainandtheUnitedStatesBuckinghamPalaceElectoralsystem:UK•InEngland,electionshavebeenusedasaparliamentaryprocesssincethe13thcentury.Thesecretballotwasadoptedin1872andfullequalvotingrightswonforwomenin1928.Allregisteredmembersofthepublicaged18andovermayvoteinparliamentaryelections.TheBritishHouseofCommonsiselectedforamaximumoffiveyears;theprimeministercancallageneralelectionatanytime.THELISTING•Thecallingofanelection–theelectionwrit•By-elections•Nominationofcandidates•Electioncampaignsandexpenses•Corruptpractices•Theparliamentaryfranchise•Thepoll•Disputedelections•Effectsofthefirst-past-the-postsystem•ElectoralbehaviourinBritainThecallingofanelection–theelectionwrit•TheroyalproclamationannouncingthedissolutionofParliamentandthesummoningofanewParliamentistheauthorizationforthewritsforageneralelection.•ThedecisiontodissolveParliamentismadebythesovereignontheadviceoftheprimeminister.UndertheParliamentAct1911themaximumdurationofaParliamentisfiveyears.Onaverage,since1900electionshavebeenheldbetweeneverythreeandfouryears.Ontwooccasionsinthe20thcenturytwoelectionshavebeenheldinoneyear:in1910and1974.By-elections•Awritforaby-electionisissuedbytheclerkoftheCrownonreceiptoftheSpeaker‘swarrant.Aby-electionmustbeheldnotlessthan11ormorethan21daysaftertheissueofthewrit.Nominationofcandidates•TheHouseofCommonsconsistsof659members,eachrepresentingasingle-memberconstituency.Eachcandidatemustbenominatedbyaproposer,aseconder,andeightotherelectors.Inpractice,theoverwhelmingmajorityofcandidatesarenominatedbypoliticalparties.Furthermore,themajorityofthepartycandidatesarenominatedbytheConservative,Labour,andLiberalDemocratparties.•ElizabethElectioncampaignsandexpenses•Theelectionexpensesofeachcandidatearestrictlycontrolled.Thepurposesofelectionexpensesarealsostrictlycontrolledandallexpensesmustbedeclaredandpublished.Allelectionliteraturemustincludethenameandaddressofthepublisherandoftheprinter.Eachcandidateisallowed,however,tosendoneelectoralcommunicationfreetoeveryelectorintheconstituency.Corruptpractices•InearliertimesBritishelectionswerenotoriouslycorrupt,buttheintroductionofthesecretballotin1872andthepassingoftheCorruptandIllegalPracticesAct1883havevirtuallyeliminatedcorruption.Apersonfoundguiltyofacorruptorillegalpracticeisdisqualifiedfromvotingforfiveyearsinaparliamentaryelection.IncontrasttotherestoftheUK,however,examplesofpersonationandintimidationhavebeenfairlycommoninNorthernIreland.Theparliamentaryfranchise•Toqualifyasanelectorinaparliamentaryelectioninaparticularconstituencyapersonmustberesidentinthatconstituencyontheannualqualifyingdate(10October),beaBritishcitizenoracitizenoftheRepublicofIreland,ofatleast18yearsofage(21before1969),andnotbesubjecttoanylegaldisqualification.•Theelectoralregisteriscompiledannuallyandcomesintoforceon15Februaryfollowingthequalifyingdateof10October.Listsofelectorsarepubliclydisplayedtoenablevoterstoensurethattheirnameshavebeenincluded.WindsdorCastleThepoll•Sincethegeneralelectionof1918pollingorvotinghastakenplaceinallconstituenciesonthesameday.Priortothis,pollingwasspreadoverthreetofourweeks.•Votersareprovidedwithpollingcardswhichdirectthemtospecifiedpollingstationslocatedindifferentpartsoftheconstituency.Thepollingstationsopenat7a.m.andcloseat10p.m.Disputedelections•IfitisallegedthattheelectedcandidateisdisqualifiedfromsittinginParliament,orthatacandidatehasengagedinbribery,corruption,orintimidationofelectors,orthatpeopleineligibletovotehavevotedintheelection,thecaseisreferredtoanelectioncourt.ThisconsistsoftwoHighCourtjudgeswhomay,accordingtotheevidence,declaretheelectionvoidordeclarethecandidatewiththenexthighestnumberofvoteselected.Inthepast,disputedelectionswerenotuncommon,buttheyarenowcomparativelyrareandaremostlyconcernedwithallegeddisqualificationofthesuccessfulcandidate.Effectsofthefirst-past-the-postsystem•Thesimplefirst-past-the-postsystemofvotinghasanimportanteffectonelectionssinceitispossibleinagivenconstituencyforacandidatetobeelectedwithonlyarelativemajorityofvotes.Thiscan,ofcourse,onlyoccurwheretherearethreeormorecandidates,butsincethisisnotuncommon,suchresultsarenotrare.ElectoralbehaviourinBritain•ElectoralbehaviourinBritainischaracterizedbyaconsiderabledegreeofhomogeneityandthemovementofsupport(orswing)fromonepartytoanotheratageneralelectionisusuallymaintainedfairlyuniformlyoverthewholecountry.TheWhiteHouseElectionsintheUnitedStates•ThesystemisaproductnotonlyofAmericanpoliticsbutalsoofthedevelopmentoftechnologyasproblemsregardingtransportationandcommunicationsweresolvedinthepast200years.Basically,thesystemisnotthatcomplicatedwhentracedbackwards.Inthesimplestterms,themembersoftheCollegeofElectorsfrom50statesandtheDistrictofColumbiagettogetherandcasttheirvotesforthepresidentandvice-presidentoftheUnitedStates.Thecandidateswhogetthehighestnumberofvoteswin.THELISTINGVoting–Eligibility–Voterregistration–Absenteevoting–Mailballots–Earlyvoting–VotingequipmentEligibility•Theeligibilityofanindividualforvotingissetoutintheconstitutionandalsoregulatedatstatel