The First Past the Post System (FPTP) is a voting system used in many countries, including India, UK, Canada, and the United States. In this system, the entire country is divided into small geographical units called constituencies, and every constituency elects one representative. A voter votes for one candidate, and the candidate who gets more votes than other candidates is declared the winner. The winning candidate need not get a majority, i.e. 50%+1 of the votes.
FPTP is a plurality voting method, meaning the candidate with the highest number (but not necessarily a majority) of votes is elected. This is in contrast to a majority voting method, which generally means more than half of the whole. FPTP is one of the simplest electoral systems and has been used to elect the House of Commons of England since the Middle Ages.
In India, we have adopted a Proportional Representation (PR) system on a limited scale for indirect elections. The Constitution prescribes a third and complex variation of the PR system for the election of President, Vice President, and for the election to the Rajya Sabha and Vidhan Parishads.
Some benefits of the FPTP system are that it is simpler and easier to conduct than other voting methods like the Proportional Representation (PR) method, which is followed in countries like the Netherlands, Israel, etc. . Additionally, FPTP may be a good choice instead of PR system for establishing a stable government in a parliamentary system, as PR-based elections may not be suitable for this purpose.
