First past the post explained
Launch library · evergreen read
First past the post is an electoral method in which the candidate with the most votes in a contest wins, regardless of whether that total amounts to an outright majority of votes cast. It is one of the simplest systems to count and explain, which is part of its long lasting practical appeal to administrators.
A common criticism is that it can produce winners with well under half the vote when several candidates split a similar bloc of support, meaning a majority of voters may have preferred someone other than the eventual winner overall. Supporters counter that its simplicity also produces clear, decisive results without lengthy delays.
The system tends to favour larger, established parties over smaller ones, since votes for a distant third place candidate rarely translate into any representation at all in the final parliament. This is a key reason some countries have moved toward alternative counting methods over recent decades of reform.