first-past-the-post


Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Financial, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
Related to first-past-the-post: proportional representation

first-past-the-post

n
(Government, Politics & Diplomacy) (modifier) of or relating to a voting system in which a candidate may be elected by a simple majority rather than an absolute majority. Compare proportional representation
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
References in periodicals archive ?
And don't forget that it was first-past-the-post that, in 2015, ensured that his former party's four million votes delivered it just one measly seat at Westminster.
Abdul Rashid, a former EC chief, said them are matters relating to elections conduct, campaign funding and expenditures, registration of voters and preparation of electoral rolls as well as a review of the current first-past-the-post election system 'to another system considered more appropriate', and electoral observers.
He also told the students and faculty members that the current multi-party democratic system in Singapore, that is, the First-Past-The-Post voting system adopted from the British, was not specially designed to have one dominant party.
ySTANBUL (CyHAN)- Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoy-an has said that the government has been working to change the electoral system to the "first-past-the-post" model, known to be a system that favors the strongest party in elections.
But his coalition could still lose because almost half of parliamentary seats are decided on a first-past-the-post basis rather than the proportional representation system that provided the basis for the exit polls.
At present 40 AMs are elected in first-past-the-post constituencies, with the remaining 20 from regional lists on a PR basis.
She quoted Mr Hain from during the referendum as saying: "As a democrat, I cannot wish away the fact that first-past-the-post is no longer fit for purpose."
In a series of press interviews, the Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, Peter Hain, called for a change in the voting system in Wales, arguing that the only acceptable option to have all AMs elected by first-past-the-post. This would mean that each of the 30 new constituencies should elect two AMs by that system.
I FEEL that I must write and criticise the proposal from Peter Hain MP, who is suggesting that the way we elect all our AMs to the Welsh Assembly should be only done by the first-past-the-post system and not on a part PR basis.
The first-past-the-post voting method, although similar in design, does not relate solely to plurality party.
FORMER CBI chief Digby Jones has backed the campaign to reform Britain's electoral system Lord Jones of Birmingham said in an interview that the proposed Alternative Vote system was not "perfect", but was better than the first-past-the-post system.
Lord Digby said that the Alternative Vote is better than the first-past-the-post system as it meant each elected MP would have the general backing of at least half of those constituents who voted."