Electoral Reform

Political polarization has become more and more the signature of modern democracies, yielding higher partisanship, legislative deadlock, and deepened social cleavages. Political polarization is brought about by numerous factors, but electoral system design plays a central role in shaping the politics. Electoral reform—redesigning how elections are conducted, votes are counted, and representatives are chosen—is a powerful means of reducing polarization and promoting greater political cooperation.

This report explores the link between electoral systems and political polarization, weighs reforms that can ease political depolarization, and elaborates on best practices and reform implementation challenges.

The Role of Electoral Systems in Political Polarization

Electoral systems determine how votes are translated into political representation, influencing who gets elected, how parties compete, and how political incentives are structured. Electoral systems can make polarization worse by benefiting the extremes, punishing compromise, and entrenching party divisions.

A few of the most significant ways that electoral systems have contributed to causing polarization are:

Winner-Takes-All Politics: First-past-the-post (FPTP) makes it likely to result in a two-party system where parties are incentivized to appeal to their base rather than finding cross-party support.

Gerrymandering: Redistricting for the advantage of a particular party increases partisanship and decreases political competition.

Closed Primaries: These reinforce ideological extremism by allowing party loyalists only to select candidates, reducing the likelihood of moderate representatives.

Disproportionate Representation: Voting systems which do not capture the diversity of voters’ preference are a source of political discontent and alienation.

By altering these aspects of the voting process, governments can create incentives towards moderation, widen political representation, and encourage bipartisan cooperation.

Critical Electoral Reforms for Political Depolarization

Electoral reforms can depolarize by favoring inclusive, competitive, and consensus-based politics. Some of the most significant reforms are:

1. Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV)

Ranked-choice voting (RCV) allows voters to rank candidates by their preference, not merely vote for one. In case no candidate has a first-choice majority, the candidate who has the lowest votes is eliminated from the competition and their votes reallocated according to second-choice preference.

How RCV Reduces Polarization:

Avoids Negative Campaigning: Candidates need to appeal to a broader array of voters, even those outside their ideological fold.

Less Spoiler Effect: Third-party candidates are no longer liable to split the vote, increasing political diversity.

Promotes Moderate Candidates: Since to prevail one needs to appeal to second- and third-choice voters, extreme candidates are less likely to prevail.

Illustration: San Francisco cities and Maine. states effectively implement RCV, with only less polarizing political campaigns and greater voter satisfaction.

2. Open Primaries

Closed primaries in the majority of systems only allow registered party members to vote for primary elections. This helps hardline ideologues, as candidates must appeal to the most committed (and often more extreme) partisans within their party. Open primaries, where any voter can vote regardless of party affiliation, reduces this impact.

How Open Primaries Reduce Polarization:

Encourages More Voter Participation: Moderates and independents have more influence in selecting candidates.

Favors Centrist Candidates: Candidates must attract a wider electorate rather than merely party loyalists.

Reduces Partisan Gridlock: Representatives who are elected through broad-based support are likely to seek bipartisan solutions.

Example: California’s top-two primary system, whereby all the candidates appear on the same ballot and the top two, party aside, advance to the general election, has led to more centrist government at times.

3. Proportional Representation (PR)

Proportional representation ensures representation in the parliament proportionate to the votes garnered by each party, as against winner-takes-all.

How PR Reduces Polarization:

Makes Politics Representative: Small parties stand a possibility of representation, reducing the dominance of two prominent vying groups.

Encourages Coalition Governments: Parties need to work together to form government majorities, which results in compromise.

Ends Wasted Votes: More citizens are represented, reducing political alienation.

Example: Proportional representation is common in many European nations, resulting in coalition and more representative government, and consequently more consensus-oriented policymaking.

4. Independent Redistricting Commissions

Gerrymandering, the manipulation of district boundaries for the benefit of a specific party, adds to polarization by establishing “safe” seats where candidates have no motivation to appeal to anyone outside their party base.

How Independent Redistricting Reduces Polarization:

Creates Competitive Elections: Politicians must compete with centrist voters rather than dealing with their partisan constituency alone.

Encourages Voter Confidence: More balanced districting eradicates election tampering perceptions.

Encourages Bipartisan Representation: Improved-balanced districts yield less polarized candidates.

Example: The Arizona and Michigan states have established independent redistricting commissions to prohibit partisan gerrymandering, leading to more equitable elections.

5. Multi-Member Districts

In contrast to single-member districts, where one candidate is elected for each district, multi-member districts allow multiple candidates to be elected based on the share of votes they receive.

How Multi-Member Districts Reduce Polarization:

Increases Political Representation: Varying points of view are better represented in legislatures.

Encourages Cross-Party Coalitions: Candidates must win over a larger coalition of voters in order to win a seat.

Decreases Winner-Takes-All Politics: More representative election outcomes reduce political alienation.

Example: New Zealand and Ireland use multi-member districts to facilitate more balanced representation and less polarized politics.

Barriers to Implementing Electoral Reform for Depolarization

Even though electoral reform can restrict political polarization, the implementation of such reforms is significantly hindered by:

1. Incumbent Political Parties’ Resistance

Major parties are reluctant to accept electoral reforms that threaten their hegemony.

Solution: bipartisan coalitions and highlighting the long-term gains of reform can overcome resistance.

2. Public Misinformation and Mistrust

Most voters are unfamiliar with other electoral systems and can be wary of change.

Solution: Public education campaigns and transparent implementation processes can generate support.

3. Legal and Constitutional Barriers

Electoral reforms that require constitutional amendments or legislative approvals can be challenging to implement.

Solution: Incremental reforms, such as beginning with RCV at the local level, can demonstrate success before national implementation.

Best Practices for Implementing Effective Electoral Reform

To ensure the success of electoral reforms, policymakers should:

1. Prioritize Public Engagement

Conducting public forums, debates, and education campaigns ensures voter acceptance and reduces suspicion.

2. Roll Out Pilot Programs

Piloting reforms at the state or local level before applying them nationally gives data-driven refinement.

3. Build Bipartisan Support

Reform measures for elections need to be framed as nonpartisan solutions that are good for all voters.

Conclusion

Electoral reform is a powerful tool to reduce political polarization by incentivizing cooperation, achieving maximum representation, and encouraging more balanced competition. Ranked-choice voting, open primaries, proportional representation, independent redistricting, and multi-member districts are strategies that guarantee a political environment with moderation, consensus, and bipartisanship.

There are challenges to its implementation, yet successful electoral reform can strengthen democracy, enhance the confidence of the voters, and ultimately result in a more integrated and less divided society.