Voters headed to the polls to elect a new Mayor along with 25 members of the London Assembly on Thursday in what could be the last fair election held in the capital.
This is because of changes to the electoral system suggested back in March by Home Secretary Priti Patel.
The Home Secretary suggested future London Mayoral elections will ditch the supplementary vote system for first-past-the-post.
The ‘Electoral Reform Bill 2016 proposed by the Conservatives also outlines plans to ditch the additional member system for first-past-the-post in future London Assembly elections.
Why does this matter?
Electoral systems effect our political culture as much they effect election results. They can enhance or restrict our democracy.
Some of them can help deliver seats to a diverse range of political parties, provide more choices for voters, and ensure governments are elected with majority support.
Some do the opposite.
In the London Assembly elections, the proportional system ensures smaller parties have a chance to gain a seat and bring with them new ideas and fresh perspectives. They ensure representation and accountability.
But how exactly do results change with different electoral systems? How do they work? And how would this impact the London Assembly?
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