1. Turnout in elections can be low.
The Additional Member System
Lesson Starter
Turnout in elections can be low.
What do you think is the most persuasive reason to vote and why?
Voter apathy is a lack of caring by voters in an election and often leads to low turnout. List at least 3 reasons voters might be apathetic.

2. Today we will…
Identify the different types of voting systems used in elections in Scotland, focusing on the Additional Member System.

3. Success Criteria
I can illustrate my understanding of the different voting systems by taking part in a class election.
I can describe the way in which the Additional Member System works.
I can list and explain the advantages and disadvantages of AMS.

4. The Election Campaign
On election day, voters go along to a polling station-usually a primary school or library and report to the polling clerk. This person checks your name against the electoral roll (a list of everyone eligible to vote).
Next you are given a ballot paper or ballot papers.
Voters choose the candidate/party they want to vote for by placing an X next to the candidate/party’s name – completed ballot papers are then placed in a ballot box.
At the end of the day, all of the ballot boxes are taken to a central location and the votes are counted.
The candidate/party with the most votes is awarded a seat(s).

5. Voting Systems
There are two main types of voting you need to know about:
First Past the Post (FPTP)
Proportional Representation (PR)

6. Voting Systems First Past the Post (FPTP)
This is when the candidate with the most votes is elected
CONSERVATIVE
LIBERAL
DEMOCRATS

7. Voting Systems Proportional Representation (PR)
This is when the number of votes a party gets = a proportional number of seats

8. What do we mean by proportional?
If 4 people were to share a cake equally, each person would get one quarter or 25%
Each gets a fair proportion

9. What do we mean by proportional?
With PR, the number of votes a party gets is roughly equal to the number of seats in parliament the party gets.
E.g. if a party gets 25% of the vote, they get 25% of the seats

10. Voting Systems Proportional Representation (PR)
So in PR, you vote for a party rather than a candidate
The party chooses who gets the seat from a list of their best people

11. Election Rules… You have one vote in each election
Put an “X” beside your chosen candidate/party
Fold once and put in ballot box

12. Class Election We will have 2 elections – one FPTP and one PR
FPTP – candidates:
John Smith – Labour
David Anderson – Conservative
Harry Hill – Liberal Democrat
Jock McDonald - SNP

13. FPTP Results… Candidate Party Votes John Smith Labour David Anderson
Conservative
Harry Hill
Liberal Democrat
Jock McDonald
SNP
Winner =

14. Class Election We will have 2 elections – one FPTP and one PR
PR – parties:
Labour
Conservative
Liberal Democrat
SNP

15. PR Results… 2 votes = 1 MSP Party Votes MSPs gained Labour
Conservative
Liberal Democrats
SNP

16. Party Lists Labour John Grey Diane Abbott Margaret Curran
David Blunkett
Tony Benn
Conservative
Annabel Goldie
Ruth Davidson
Jackson Carlaw
David Cameron
Liberal Democrats
Nick Clegg
Paddy Ashdown
Charles Kennedy
Tavish Scott
SNP
John Mason
Nicola Sturgeon
Kenny MacAskill
John Swinney
Bill Kidd
John Smith
Natalie McCall
Task
Write a list of the names of MSPs elected using the PR system.

17. Task…
Write down one advantage and one disadvantage of the First Past the Post system.
Write down one advantage and one disadvantage of Proportional Representation systems.

18. The Additional Member System
The system used for elections to the Scottish Parliament is a type of PR called the Additional Member system (AMS)
It combines FPTP (used in the UK elections) and PR
FPTP + PR = AMS
Elections for the SP take place every 4 years. The most recent election was on 5th May 2016
The elected representatives in the Scottish Parliament are known as Members of the Scottish Parliament or MSPs.

19. How does the AMS work?
Watch this short clip first

20. Additional Member System (AMS)
Scotland is split up into 73 different CONSTITUENCIES.
Your constituency is probably GLASGOW ANNIESLAND.
It is also split up into 8 different REGIONS. Your region is GLASGOW.
Each constituency has 1 MSP
Each region has 7 MSPs
How many MSPs represent you?
How many MSPs are there in total?

21. Scotland by Scottish Parliament Constituency today
Yellow = SNP
Red = Labour
Blue = Conservative
Orange = Lib Dems

22. Scottish Parliament Regions There are 8 regions of Scotland:
West of Scotland
Lothian
South Scotland
Central Scotland
Mid Scotland and Fife
Glasgow
North East Scotland
Highlands and Islands
– interactive map

23. There are 73 Constituency MSPs and 56 Regional MSPs
There are 73 Constituency MSPs and 56 Regional MSPs. Altogether, there are 129 MSPs.

24. Scottish Parliament Elections…
YOU HAVE TWO VOTES!

25. Voting for regional MSP’s Voting for constituency MSP
Paper 2
Peach
Voting for regional MSP’s
1 X for a party
Uses PR
Paper 1
Purple
Voting for constituency MSP
1 X for 1 candidate
Uses FPTP

26. Paper 1
The first ballot paper is to elect an MSP to represent the people in a constituency (FPTP)
There are 73 constituencies for the Scottish Parliament.
Voters put a cross against the name of the candidate they want to represent them in their constituency.

27. Paper 2
The second ballot paper elects MSPs to the 8 regions of Scotland
Each region has 7 Regional MSPs or list MSPs as they are sometimes known.
Voters put an X next to the party they want to represent them in the region
The second ballot paper makes sure that the result of the election is more proportional (fairer), if a party gets 20% of the votes in this ballot it will get close to 20% of the seats.

28. Advantages Disadvantages
Task: AMS Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
Disadvantages
USE AMS resource sheet
Using the cut and sort sheet complete the table for the advantages and disadvantages of the AMS system

29. What you need to know…
If this topic appears in the exam, you basically need to know the advantages and disadvantages of the AMS
Ensure that you learn these
See next slide…
USE AMS resource sheet

30. Advantages Disadvantages
IT IS FAIRER! - There is a more proportional link between voters and elected representatives and more parties are represented. Glasgow has MSPs from the SNP, Labour, Conservative and the Green Party.
IT CREATES COALITIONS OR MINORITY WHICH ARE WEAK! - AMS tends to produce coalition or minority governments. These types of governments are arguably weaker as the largest party has to compromise and negotiate with smaller parties or individual opposition MSPs in order to get things done. This means it is more difficult to pass bills. The current SNP Government is a minority Government so they have to rely on support from other parties to get laws passed.
BEST OF BOTH WORLDS! - There still is a link between the MSP and the constituents as voters vote directly for their constituency MSP (paper 1). For example, if you live in Anniesland constituency then Bill Kidd would be the constituency MSP but there are also 7 additional regional MSPs who have been elected proportionally.
IT IS CONFUSING! – Many people in Scotland do not understand how AMS works and prefer FPTP which is more straightforward. There are two types of MSPs - constituency MSPs and list MSPs - which can lead to confusion. People might not be sure who to speak to if they have a concern.
SMALLER PARTIES HAVE A CHANCE! -Smaller parties can get representation under AMS. Under FPTP it is virtually impossible for small parties to win seats, but because the second vote in AMS uses PR, smaller parties have a chance. For example, the Green Party currently have 6 MSPs who were all elected as regional MSPs.
IT’S UNDEMOCRATIC! – Because the second vote uses PR, voters vote for a party instead of a candidate. The party then gets to choose candidates which is arguably undemocratic and gives parties too much power. Some people would rather vote for candidates only as is the case with the FPTP system.
LESS WASTED VOTES! - Some people feel their vote is less likely to be wasted as they get two votes. If their constituency choice is not elected then they will be represented through their regional MSPs. In total everyone in Scotland has 8 MSPs representing them.
SMALLER PARTIES TOO POWERFUL! - Small parties, or even individual MSPs, can arguably have too much power because their votes are needed by bigger parties in coalitions/minority governments. E.g., the current SNP minority Government has less than half of the total number of MSPs (63/129). This means that they rely on support from other MSPs like the Green MSPs to get bills passed and the Greens can demand something in return for their support. But the Greens only have 6/129 MSPs (less than 5% of MSPs). Should they have this much influence?

31. 2016 Scottish Parliament Election Results

32. 2016 Scottish Parliament Election Results

33. 2016 Scottish Parliament Election Results

34. 2016 Scottish Parliament Election Results

35. 2016 Scottish Parliament Election Results

36. Glasgow Constituency Results
SNP dominant.

37. Glasgow Region Results
7 seats for each region remember – in Glasgow these went to Labour (4), Conservatives (2) and Green Party (1).

38. Glasgow Anniesland Results

39. Interactive AMS Explanation…
The formula used to award regional seats in the AMS (The D’Hondt Formula) is complex
Visit this site to take part in an interactive explanation of this:

40. Knowledge Question
The Additional Member System (AMS), used to elect the Scottish Parliament, has both advantages and disadvantages.
Explain, in detail, the advantages and disadvantages of the Additional Member System (AMS) which is used to elect the Scottish Parliament. (8)

41. Was I successful?
I can illustrate my understanding of the different voting systems by taking part in a class election.
I can describe the way in which the Additional Member System works.
I can list and explain the advantages and disadvantages of AMS.