First Past the Post
The most common method of voting is the "First Past The Post" system in which the candidate who polls more votes than any other candidate is elected.
Advantages:
Many parties choose this system principally because of its simplicity and the speed with which results can be tallied and announced. On average, the results under the this system are often the same as they are under more complex systems which are intended to be "fairer".
Disadvantages:
A major disadvantage of the "First Past the Post" system is that several popular nominees can split the vote, resulting in a very unpopular candidate winning the ballot. A candidate may win, despite heading the most unpopular faction within the party. Such a nominee may not inspire party members to come out and work hard for the selected candidate. Indeed, the wider the field of good candidates, the more danger there is that a bad or divisive candidate will be elected.
Overview of the Method:
A. Voters can be required to mark ballot papers by using ticks; crosses; numbers; or by striking out the names of candidates for whom they DO NOT wish to vote. Only one type of marking should be allowed (for example: ticks only), otherwise there will be confusion over the intent of the voter. Papers marked with the wrong symbols should be ruled invalid.
B. After all votes are cast, party officials must count the number of votes shown against the name of each candidate – then declare the candidate with the highest number of votes to be elected. The winner does not need more than half the votes.
It may be that the leading candidate is so strongly supported that they get over half the votes. However, where there is a wide field of contenders, it is often the case that a candidate will be elected with considerably less than half the votes.
Election of more than one candidate:
The “Block-Vote” method is a type of First-Past-the-Post system, used for electing multiple candidates.
C. Under this method, several ticks or similar marks are used on each ballot paper. Voters are usually required to vote for the exact number of candidates to be elected. Alternatively, parties can specify that a ballot paper will be deemed valid if it contains votes for fewer candidates than need to be elected.
D. Votes are counted in the same way as for the election of only one candidate. Successful candidates are those who receive the highest number of votes. For instance, if three candidates must be elected, then those with the highest number of ticks are chosen.
E. Party factions may often direct voters to record their votes in a manner set out in a “how-to-vote” pamphlet. This coordination within a faction ensures that its votes are not spread too thinly to be effective. Party rules may sometimes ban the distribution of such pamphlets near polling places (sometimes because of concerns that rival factions may distribute pamphlets which are misleadingly attributed to the other factions).
Sample Constitutional Template:
Definitions
1. Definitions: the word “candidate” shall be taken to include any nominee for preselection and any nominee for a party officebearer position.
Completion of Ballot Papers
2. If there are two or more candidates, then the voting member shall place a tick in the square opposite the name of the candidate whom he prefers.
3. (a) Notwithstanding the foregoing rules, a voter may at any time mark his paper with the words "none of the above", or vote for such a proposition on any pre-published ballot paper prepared by the Returning Officer.
(b) Where, after counting the votes, more than half of the votes cast are marked "none of the above", then the position will be declared “not filled” and shall be filled by the next ordinary meeting as if it were a casual vacancy.
4. Each voting member shall be responsible for placing his ballot paper in the ballot box. When all eligible voting members have had a reasonable opportunity to vote, the votes shall then be counted by the Returning Officer and his assistants.
Method for Counting Papers
5. On completion of the time allowed for voting, the Returning Officer shall examine the ballot papers and sort them into parcels according to the ticked candidates, rejecting any that are informal. A ballot paper is informal on which:
(a) a tick is not placed against the name of a candidate or is placed against the name of more than one candidate; or
(b) a tick together with another mark is placed against the name of the same candidate; or
(c) it cannot be determined for which candidate the tick is intended.
6. The candidate with the most ticks shall be declared the selected candidate.
7. If two candidates have an equal number of ticks the Returning Officer shall conduct a second ballot, with only the names of the tieing candidates in the second ballot. If there is a further tie between the two, the Returning Officer shall determine by lot which of them will be selected.
8. Any scrutineer may, at the end of any count, request the Returning Officer to re-examine and recount all or any of the papers dealt with during that count, and the Returning Officer shall forthwith re-examine and recount such papers. However, the Returning Officer is not obliged to recount the same papers more than once. No alteration of the dispositions of the papers shall be made at the end of a recount except to correct errors discovered in the recount.
9. The Returning Officer may at his discretion recount papers either once or more often in any case in which he is not satisfied as to the accuracy of any previous counting of the vote.
Election of Multiple Candidates
10. If there is more than one candidate required to be selected and more than one candidate has been validly nominated, then:
(a) if the number of candidates offering themselves is equal to or less than the number to be selected, and there is no requirement for an order of selection to be decided, then all candidates shall be declared elected and any remaining positions shall be filled by the subsequent ordinary meeting as if it were a casual vacancy;
(b) if the number of candidates offering themselves is more than the number to be selected, or if an order of selection is required, the Returning Officer shall instruct voting members to cast votes for as many candidates as there are positions available, then voting and counting shall proceed in accordance with the procedures in provisions 2 to 5.
11. The Returning Officer shall rank candidates according to the number of votes received, then match the top ranked candidates with the positions available - commencing with the candidate with the most votes. Recounts may proceed in accordance with provisions 8 and 9, while tied votes shall be broken using the procedure in provision 7.
12. Documents directing voting members to vote for particular candidates will not be permitted within the voting place or within 10 meters of the entrances. Persons distributing such material within these zones will be barred from entering the voting place and will be barred from exercising the rights of a voting member for 12 months.
Alternative Voting Systems:
See Choosing a Voting System