There are three main types of electoral systems, which are widely used across the globe. These are:
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Plurality Electoral Systems: Also known as "first-past-the-post" or "winner-takes-all," this system awards the seat to the candidate who receives the most votes. The winner is the one that has the largest number of votes, even if it is below 50% . Examples of countries that use this system include the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
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Majority Electoral Systems: In this system, a candidate needs to win over 50% of the votes to win. If no candidate receives that amount, then a second election is held with only a select number of candidates from the first round. Examples of countries that use this system include France, Russia, and Portugal.
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Proportional Representation: This system takes the percentage of total votes that a political party receives and translates it into the number of seats that party gets in the legislature. This system is the most widely used electoral system in the world. Examples of countries that use this system include Germany, Israel, and the Netherlands.
It is important to note that there are many variations in electoral systems, and some systems attempt to combine the benefits of non-proportional and proportional systems.
