Proportional Representation

Irish Far-Right Fizzles in General Election

Despite momentum from recent local elections, far-right candidates experienced widespread defeat in the general election. The majority of candidates from various far-right parties and alliances failed to secure significant support, with most receiving less than 2% of first-preference votes and many eliminated early in the counting process. While some achieved higher percentages, none are currently poised for election. This outcome contrasts with the recent local election success of a few far-right candidates, highlighting a divergence between local and national voting patterns.

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Britain swings to the center-left in historic U.K. election landslide

As I sit down to reflect on the recent U.K. election results, I can’t help but feel a mix of relief and skepticism. The headlines scream about a historic landslide victory for the center-left, but is that truly the case? The numbers speak for themselves – Labour did win a majority of seats, but their vote share only increased by under 2%. It wasn’t so much a surge of support for Labour, but a significant collapse of the Conservative party, with Reform siphoning off a large chunk of their votes.

The idea of a dramatic swing to the left in U.K.… Continue reading

Wisconsin’s extreme gerrymandering era ends as new maps come into force

Growing up in Canada, I have always admired the democratic processes in place, particularly the idea of proportional representation. The concept that the popular vote should directly translate to the distribution of power in government seems like a basic tenet of democracy. Yet, as I closely followed the situation in Wisconsin, it became apparent that gerrymandering had become a deeply entrenched practice that undermined this fundamental democratic principle.

The recent news that Wisconsin’s extreme gerrymandering era has come to an end with the implementation of new, more balanced maps is a significant step forward. The fact that the previous maps were so strongly biased towards Republicans, providing them with an unfair advantage in elections, was a clear violation of the democratic values that should guide our political system.… Continue reading