International Elections

Standard Note: SN/SG/5274 Last updated: October 2009 Author: Kathryn Keith, Social & General Statistics

This note examines recent and upcoming international elections, mainly those in Europe and certain other countries. It will look at the dates on which these are to occur, the separate electoral systems of each nation and the results of each election as they are published. It will also include some background information relating to the various different political parties of each country.

Contents

A. International elections timetable 2009-2011 3

B. European election results 4 1. Austria 4 2. Belgium 6 3. Bulgaria 7 4. Denmark 9 5. Finland 10 6. France 11 7. Germany 12 8. Greece 14 9. Hungary 16 10. Iceland 17 11. Ireland 19 12. Italy 20 13. Luxembourg 22 14. The Netherlands 24 15. Norway 25 16. Poland 27 17. Portugal 28 18. Romania 30 19. Spain 32 20. Sweden 34 Standard Notes are compiled for the benefit of Members of Parliament and their personal staff. Authors are available to discuss the contents of these papers with Members and their staff but cannot advise others. 21. United Kingdom 35

C. Selected international elections 36 1. Australia 36 2. Canada 37 3. India 38 4. South Africa 40 5. United States of America 42

Glossary 45

2 A. International elections timetable 2009-2011

Year Month Date Country Type of election

2009 January February 10 Israel Parliamentary March April 16 India Parliamentary (1st stage) 22 South Africa Parliamentary 23 India Parliamentary (2nd stage) 25 Iceland Parliamentary 30 India Parliamentary (3rd stage) May June 7 Luxembourg Parliamentary 12 Iran Presidential July 5 Bulgaria Parliamentary August September 14 Norway Parliamentary 27 Germany Parliamentary 27 Portugal Parliamentary October 4 Greece Parliamentary November Romania Presidential (1st round) December Romania Presidential (2nd round) 2010 January 16 Iraq Parliamentary February Greece Presidential March April Austria Presidential Hungary* Parliamentary Italy Parliamentary May June United Kingdom** Parliamentary Hungary Presidential July August September 19 Sweden Parliamentary October Poland Presidential November December 2011 January Portugal Presidential February March Finland Parliamentary April Australia Parliamentary May Netherlands Parliamentary June Belgium Parliamentary July August September Greece Parliamentary October Bulgaria Presidential Poland Parliamentary November December Source: www.parties-and-elections.de

* Hungary - by May 2010 ** United Kingdom - by 3 June 2010

Standard Notes are compiled for the benefit of Members of Parliament and their personal staff. Authors are available to discuss the contents of these papers with Members and their staff but cannot advise others. B. European elections

1. Austria

Most recent parliamentary election: September 28, 2008 Current ruling party: Social Democratic Party of Austria Electoral system: Proportional representation Fixed terms: Yes President – 6 years Federal Council – 5/6 years National Council – 4 years Next election: April 2010 (Presidential)

Austria has both Presidential and parliamentary elections, with a bicameral Federal Assembly. The elections of the National Council (Nationalrat), a part of the Assembly, are based upon the principle of proportional representation, including a party-list element. There are 183 contested seats in the Nationalrat, with each member serving four-year terms.1 A party must win a parliamentary seat in the first stage of vote counting in order to win seats in the second and third stages. A candidate who receives preferential votes amounting to at least one-sixth of the votes his party receives wins a parliamentary seat. Votes are counted in three stages, although a voter only casts one ballot. 2

The Federal Assembly also consists of the Bundesrat with 62 members, elected by indirect vote to serve five or six year terms. Each of Austria's nine provinces elect between three and twelve members, according to provincial population. The current "grand coalition" between the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) and the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) has been and should continue to be characterized by more co-operation than the previous one.

The President, currently Heinz Fischer as of April 25 2004, is elected by direct popular vote to serve a six-year term.

1 IFES election guide 2 Country Studies 4 Austrian Parliamentary election 2008

Total vote (%) Change in share Seats Party 2008 of the vote since 2006 (% pts) 2008 2006 Social Democratic Party of Austria 29.3 -6.1 57 68 Austrian People's Party 26 -8.4 51 66 Freedom Party of Austria 17.5 6.5 34 21 Alliance for the Future of Austria 10.7 6.6 21 7 Greens 10.4 -0.6 20 21 Other 6.1 --- Total 100 183 183 Source: BMI

Change in share of the vote since 2006 (%pts)

Distribution of seats in the National Council 2008

-10 -5 0 5 10

Austria had an early parliamentary election on 28 September 2008, following the collapse of the government, as the centre-right People's Party withdrew from the grand coalition with Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer's Social Democrats on 7 July 2008.

Due to widespread public dissatisfaction with the grand coalition and the two main parties, it was expected by many to be a realigning election3, with gains for the opposition and up to seven parties expected to be in the National Council after the election.

The Social Democratic Party of Austria again emerged as the largest party in the general election. However, they and the Austrian People’s Party both had their worst election result in history, losing a combined 26 seats in the National Council. This resulted in strong gains for the far-right, who took 29% of the vote. Neither the Liberal Forum nor the Citizens’ Forum Austria, who were both considered to have a high chance of gaining seats) gained as much as 2% of the vote.

3 Derstandard.at

2. Belgium

Most recent parliamentary election: June 10, 2007 Current ruling party: The New-Flemish Alliance Electoral system: Proportional representation

Fixed terms: Yes – 4 years Next election: June 2011 (Parliamentary)

The Belgian Parliament is divided into two chambers – the Chamber of Representatives with 150 members and the Senate, with 71 members. The Chamber is the more powerful of the two, with control over state finances. All members of the Chamber of Representatives are elected using proportional representation, for four-year terms, with a five-percent minimum threshold needed. In the Senate, forty members are elected by direct popular vote, with the remaining thirty-one members being elected indirectly, both serving four-year terms.

The electorate have two votes (one for each chamber) with voters being given a list of candidates from each party. They are able to either vote for a particular list or choose specific candidates from it. For elections to the Chamber of Representatives, parties have lists for each of Belgium's ten provinces and the Brussels region. The number of seats available depends on each province's population.

The Senate has two lists, one for the Dutch-speaking Flemish community and one for the French-speaking region of Wallonia. Residents of Brussels choose from one of the two lists. Belgium's small German-speaking community select from the Walloon list.4

4 Reuters – Factbox, 2007

3. Bulgaria

Most recent parliamentary election: July 5, 2009 Current ruling party: Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) Electoral system: Closed-list proportional representation Fixed terms: Yes – 4 years Next election: October2011 (Presidential)

Bulgaria has a unicameral legislature, the National Assembly, with 240 directly-elected members from thirty-one multi-member constituencies, distributed according to the population of each area. In each general election held, 209 members are elected using the closed-list proportional representation system and 31 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies, both to serve four-year terms.

7 Bulgarian Parliamentary election results 2009

Party Total vote (%) Change in share of Seats 2009 the vote since 2005(%pts) 2009 2005 Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) 39.7 - 116 Coalition for Bulgaria (CB) 17.7 -13.3 40 82 Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) 14.5 1.7 38 34 National Union Attack 9.4 1.2 21 21 Blue Coalition (BC) 6.8 -7.3 15 Order, Lawfulness, Justice (RZS) 4.1 - 10 Other 7.8 Total 100 240 137 Source: CIK

Distribution of seats in the Bulgarian National Assembly, 2009.

The most recent election in Bulgaria was for all 240 seats in the National Assembly, and was held on July 3, 2009. These elections saw the debut of a parallel voting system with a lesser plurality vote element. 209 of the 240 seats were distributed according to the proportional system, while the remaining 31 were allocated using First Past the Post. The centre-right GERB party led by Boiko Borisov was the clear winner, gaining 39.7% of the proportional vote and 26 of the 31 majority vote seats. The Socialist Coalition for Bulgaria’s share of the vote decreased to 17.7%; down 13.2% from the 2005 general election.

8 4. Denmark

Most recent parliamentary election: November 13, 2007 Current ruling party: a coalition of the Liberals and the Conservative People’s Party Electoral system: Open-list proportional representation Fixed terms: Yes – 4 years Next election: November 2011 (Parliamentary)

Denmark has a unicameral legislature (the Folketinget) with 175 seats. There are three electoral regions: Metropolitan Copenhagen, the Islands, and Jutland containing multi- member constituencies. In the Parliament 135 constituency tier members are elected by open list proportional representation in multi-member constituencies to serve four-year terms. In addition, the remaining forty compensatory tier members5 are elected using the same method to serve four-year terms. There are also four Faroe Islands and Greenland, members of which are elected by the same open list proportional representation. When it has been decided which parties are entitled to a share of the compensatory seats, the number of seats which each party is proportionately entitled to of the 175 seats is calculated on the basis of the total number of votes cast for these parties in all parts of the country. From the number of seats thus arrived at for each party, the number of constituency seats already obtained by the party is deducted. The resulting figure is the number of compensatory seats due to the party.

The end result of this system is a distribution of seats in the Folketing that faithfully reflects the share of the popular votes received by the parties.6

5 Compensatory seats are distributed among the parties which either have won at least one constituency seat; have obtained, in two electoral regions, at least as many votes as the average number of valid votes cast in the region, per constituency seat; or have obtained at least 2% of all valid votes cast in the country as a whole. Such distribution, based on votes obtained on the national level, is aimed at redressing the imbalance caused through the distribution of the constituency seats. 6 IPU PARLINE database

5. Finland Most recent parliamentary election: March 18, 2007 Current ruling party: a Centre-Right coalition consisting of the Centre Party, National Coalition Party, the Greens and the Swedish People's Party Electoral system: Simple plurality Fixed terms: Yes Parliament - 4 years President - 6 years Next election: March 2011 (Parliamentary)

The Finnish Parliament is a unicameral body with 200 members, all of whom are directly elected. A system of proportional representation is utilised with 199 members in fourteen constituencies being elected in this manner.

Seats are distributed among the individual parties, or alliances of several parties and for the distribution of seats within each list, candidates are ranked according to the number of personal votes they have polled. The exception to this is in the province of Aland, the only single-member constituency, where one member is elected by simple majority vote. Vacancies arising between general elections are filled by individuals who are "next in line" on the list of the party which formerly held the seat. 7

7 IPU PARLINE database

10 6. France

Most recent legislative election: June 17 & 10 2007 Current ruling party: UMP (Union for a Popular Movement) Electoral system: Simple plurality Fixed terms: Yes President – 5 years Senate – 9 years Next election: June 2012 (Legislative)

France has a bicameral Parliament, which consists of the lower house, the National Assembly and the upper house, the Senate.

Elections for the National Assembly, which has 577 members, are based upon a Single- Member Majoritarian system taking place in two rounds. A candidate is elected in the first round if he/she obtains an absolute majority of the total votes cast. If no candidate obtains a majority in the first-round election, then a second-round is held between the two candidates with the highest votes in the first round. The President serves a five-year term, and can be re-elected, but only once.8

The Senate is composed of 331 members who are elected by indirect vote in an electoral college to serve nine-year terms. One third of the Senate is renewable every three years.9

8 IFES election guide 9 IPU PARLINE database

7. Germany

Most recent parliamentary election: September 27, 2009 Current ruling party: a coalition of the Christian Democrats (CDU) and Liberals (FDP). Electoral system: Proportional represen tat ion Fixed terms: Yes (4 years)

The German electoral system is a mixed-member proportional (MMP) system with a fixed four-year term. It is a mixed-member system because there are two types of seat in the Bundestag: half of the MPs are directly elected in single-member constituencies; the other half are indirectly elected from party lists. In parallel, voters have two votes: the first (Erststimme) for a constituency candidate, the second (Zweitstimme) for a Land-level party list.

The number of seats allocated to party lists is calculated according to the Hare-Niemeyer largest-remainders method in a single nationwide constituency of 598 seats Then each party’s quota of seats is allocated (again according to Hare-Niemeyer) among its Land lists. Having thus calculated the number of seats in a Land to which a party is entitled, the next stage is to subtract from this the number of constituencies won by the party in that Land. The remaining seats are filled by list candidates. This component counteracts the disproportional result in the constituency component.10

The President of Germany is elected by the Federal Assembly which is made up of the members of the Bundestag and an equal number of members nominated by the state Landtags, and serves a five-year term. The most recent Presidential election was held on 23 May 2009, the two main contenders being the incumbent Horst Köhler (supported by CDU/CSU and FDP) and Gesine Schwan (supported by SPD and Alliance '90/The Greens). Köhler was re-elected in the first round of voting by 613 votes, which was exactly the minimum number of votes necessary. Schwan, received 503 votes making a second round unnecessary.11

10 Democratic Audit: AMS in Germany – and in Britain? Robert Johns 11 Deutsche Welle, 2009

German Parliamentary election results 2009

Party Total vote Change in Seats in the Seats in the (%) share of the Bundestag Bundestag vote since 2009 2005 2005 (%pts) Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) 41 -1.4 239 226 Social Democrats (SPD) 23.0 -11.2 146 222 Liberals (FDP) 14.6 4.8 93 61 Left (Die Linke) 11.9 3.2 76 54 The Greens 10.7 2.6 68 51 Other 6.0 2.4 0 0 Total 100 622 614 Source: German Federal Statistics Office

Change in share of the vote since Distribution of seats in the Bundestag 2009 2005 (%pts)

-15 -10 -5 0 5 10

The German Parliamentary election took place on September 27, 2009, resulting in a victory for Angela Merkel’s CDU party. This brings with it an end to the centre-left coalition her party formed with the Social Democrats (SPD). They are instead to form a new centre-right alliance with the Liberal Free Democrats (FDP).

The Christian Democrats polled 33.8% of the vote, 1.4% less than in the last election, giving them 239 seats in the Bundestag. The Social Democrats polled 23%, down 11.2% and the Liberals won 14.6% of the vote, an increase of 4.8% since 2005.

The SPD received their worst parliamentary election result in 60 years and will be in opposition for the first time in 11 years. However, so too did Merkel’s CDU/CSU. This provides the new ruling coalition with a 48.4% majority.

Turno ut was 71.2%, lower than the previous election in 2005, which stood at 77.7 %

8. Greece

Most recent parliamentary election: October 4, 2009 Current ruling party: Pan-Hellenic Socialist Movement (Pasok) Electoral system: Proportional representation Fixed terms: President – 5 years Parliament – 4 years unless Assembly dissolves Next election: February 2010 (Presidential)

In Greece, parliamentary and municipal elections are held every four years unless the Assembly is dissolved, therefore creating the need for an interim election . The President is elected by Parliament to serve five-year terms.

There are 300 members in the unicameral parliament (the Vouli), who are elected from fifty-six local constituencies, represented by one to thirty-two seats according to their population. Candidates are elected under a unique "reinforced" proportional representation system. 288 members of the Assembly are chosen directly on the basis of constituency votes with the remaining twelve seats being occupied by "national deputies," elected at large from party lists in proportion to the popular vote the parties receive. These deputies thus represent the entire country, their position in the Assembly being largely honorary.

A parliamentary majority can be achieved and a government formed even if the winning party fails to secure a simple majority of the popular vote. This outcome is able to occur as extra representation is awarded to the larger parties that obtain more than a minimum percentage of the national vote.12

12 The Library of Congress Country Studies

Greek Parliamentary election results 2009

Party Total vote (%) Change in share Seats of the vote since 2007 (% pts) 2009 2007 PASOK 43.9 5.8 160 102 New Democracy 33.5 -8.3 92 152 KKE 7.5 -0.6 21 22 LA.O.S 5.6 1.8 15 10 Left Coalition 4.6 -0.4 12 14 Ecologist Greens 2.5 1.5 0 0 Other 2.4 -0.1 0 0 Total 100 300 300 Source: Greek Ministry of the Interior

Change in Percentage share of the Distribution of seats in the Greek Parliament, vote for the Greek legislative election, 2009. 2009.

-10 -5 0 5 10

Greece’s most recent parliamentary election took place on October 4, 2009, with the opposition Pan- Hellenic Socialist Movement (Pasok) gaining a resounding general election victory. With 99% of votes counted, Pasok had nearly 44% of the vote, to 33.5% for New Democracy - its worst ever result. Pasok needed 43% to win an absolute majority in parliament. It has been in opposition for more than five years.

9. Hungary Most recent parliamentary election: April 23, 2006 Current ruling party: Coalition government with Socialist Party (MSZP) and the Free Democrats (SZDSZ), Electoral system: Party-list proportional representation Fixed terms: Yes – 4 years Next election: April 2010 (Parliamentary)

The Hungarian Parliament, the National Assembly, is a unicameral body composed of 386 members elected for four-year terms. 176 members are elected in single-member constituencies and 210 members are elected through a party-list proportional representation system in twenty regional, multi-member constituencies. Electors cast two votes: one for a single-member constituency candidate and another for a regional party list; the votes are cast on separate ballots Single-member constituency candidates who obtain an absolute majority of valid votes cast are elected in the first round. Otherwise, a runoff election is held two weeks later among candidates polling at least fifteen percent of the vote; if no candidates meet this requirement, the runoff is held between the top three candidates. In the second round, the candidate that obtains the largest number of votes is elected to office.

10. Iceland

Most recent parliamentary election: April 25, 2009 Current ruling party: Centre-left coalition of the Social Democratic Alliance and the Left Green Movement Electoral System: Open-list proportional representation Fixed terms: Yes – 4 years Next election:

Iceland has a unicameral Parliament, named the Althing, with sixty-three seats. Fifty-four of these members are elected through an open-list proportional representation system to serve four-year terms in office. The remaining nine members are also elected by open-list proportional representation; however, these are from multi-member constituencies, of which there are six in Iceland. The purpose of these is to ensure proportionality between the parties’ overall seat shares and their national vote shares. The President is elected by simple majority vote to serve a four-year term.13

13 IFES Election Guide

Icelandic Parliamentary election results 2009

Party Total vote Change in share of Seats (%) the vote since 2007 (%pts) 2009 Social Democratic Alliance 29.8 3 18 Independence Party 23.7 -12.9 25 Left-Green Movement 21.7 7.4 9 Progressive Party 14.8 3.1 7 Citizens' Movement 7.2 7.2 4 Other 2.8 -4.5 0 Totals 100 63 Source: Morgunblaðið

Percentage swing in the number of votes for the Icelandic parliamentary election, 2009.

Distribution of seats in the Icelandic Parliament 2009

-15 -10 -5 0 5 10

The most recent Icelandic parliamentary election took place on April 25, 2009. The centre-left coalition of the Social Democratic Alliance and the Left Green Movement were successful, securing thirty-four seats in the sixty-three member parliament, gaining seven MPs from the previous election.

18 11. Ireland

Most recent parliamentary election: May 24, 2007 Current ruling party: Fianna Fáil Electoral System: Single Transferable Vote (STV) Proportional Representation Fixed terms: Yes Senate – 5 years House of Representatives – 5 years President – 7 years Next election: October 2011

(Presidential)

Ireland has a bicameral Parliament (Oireachtas) consisting of the Senate (Seanad Eireann) with 60 seats and the House of Representatives (Dail Eireann) with 166 seats. In the Senate 49 members are elected by indirect vote by, among others, university graduates and locally elected representatives, and 11 members are appointed by the prime minister. All members serve 5-year terms. In the House of Representatives 165 members are elected through a single transferable vote (STV) proportional representation system to serve 5-year terms. One seat is reserved for the Speaker of the House. The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 7-year term, which is renewable once, and they have a mainly ceremonial role.

The current President is Mary McAleese, and the current Prime Minister (Taoiseach) is Brian Cowen, leader of the Fianna Fail party. Cowen succeeded Bertie Ahern in May 2008, after Ahern announced his resignation the previous month, following a controversy over his financial affairs.

19 12. Italy

Most recent parliamentary election: 13 & 14 April 2008 Current ruling party: People of Freedom Party (a centre-right coalition merging the Forza Italia Party and the National Alliance) Electoral system: Party-list proportional representation Fixed terms: Yes Deputies/Senate– 5 years (can be dissolved) Next election: April 2013 (Parliamentary)

Italy has a bicameral parliament, consisting of the Senate (Senato della Repubblica) with 322 seats, and the Chamber of Deputies (Camera dei Deputati) with 630 seats. The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house in the system. 617 of the members are elected through the proportional representation method from party lists for each of the twenty-six constituencies. The term of office for Deputies is five years, but the Parliament may be dissolved by the President before then if it proves impossible to form a stable government, which has happened six times since the end of the Second World War. The election process for the lower house is complex, and only dates back to 2005, its complexity a consequence of the proportional representation system being combined with a ‘prize’ for the coalition securing the largest number of votes. This occurs so that the resulting government has a stronger basis upon which to rule. In order to win seats, certain thresholds must be surpassed on a national basis, for example, a minimum of 4% is required for any party not in a coalition. The coalition or party that obtains the largest number of seats but gains less than 340 seats, is assigned additional seats to reach this number. This corresponds to around a 54% majority. This is the 'prize' and the incentive to form coalitions.

The upper house, the Senate has 309 of its members elected by a proportional representation system based upon party lists for the twenty Italian regions to serve five-year terms. Five members are elected by the President and two are filled ‘ex officio’. The electoral system for the Senate is very similar to that of the Chamber of Deputies, but in contrast it is in many ways performed on a regional basis as opposed to a national one. Therefore the thresholds, which differ to the lower house, are applied on a regional basis, such as a minimum of 20% is needed for a coalition. The winning coalition is automatically given 55% of the region's seats, if it has not reached that percentage already. As opposed to the Chamber of Deputies, there is no mechanism to guarantee a nation-wide majority in the Senate. The President is elected by parliament to serve a seven-year term.14

14 Centre for European Politics

20 Italian Parliamentary election 2008

Total vote (%) Change in share Seats Party 2008 of the vote since 2006 (% pts) 2008 People of Freedom* 46.8 4.5 344 Democratic Party** 37.5 4.1 246 Union of the Centre 5.6 -1.1 36 Other 10.1 -9.8 4 Total 100.0 630 *Coalition of the People of Freedom, Lega Nord and Movement for Autonomy **Coalition of the Democratic Party and Italy of Values

Change in share of the vote since 2006 Distribution of seats in the Italian Chamber of (%pts) Deputies 2008

-12 -10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6

The 2008 elections were called three years earlier than they would have been constitutionally due, following the collapse of Prime Minister Romano Prodi's centre-left coalition in January.

21 13. Luxembourg

Most recent parliamentary election: June 7, 2009 Current ruling party: Christian Social People’s Party Electoral system: Open-list proportional representation Fixed terms: Yes (5 years) Next election:

Luxembourg has a unicameral Chamber of Deputies with sixty seats. Members are elected using open list proportional representation in multi-member constituencies to serve five-year terms.

There are four multi-member districts with seats distributed in proportion to their populations. Voters may vote for party lists, or they may cast preference votes within party lists. Each voter has a fixed number of preference votes to cast, and they may distribute them among multiple parties' lists.15

15 Elections.public.lu

22 Luxembourg Parliamentary election results 2009

Party Total vote Change in Seats in the Chamber of (%) share of the Deputies vote since 2004(%)

Christian Social People's Party (CSV) 38.0 1.9 26 Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP) 21.6 -1.8 13 Democratic Party (DP) 15.0 -1.1 9 The Greens 11.7 0.1 7 Other 13.7 -0.4 5 Total 100 60 Source: Centre informatique de l'Etat

Distribution of seats in the Chamber of Deputies, 2009.

Change in the share of the vote since 2004 (%pts)

-2 -1 0 1 2 3

Parliamentary elections took place on 7 June 2009, with all sixty seats in the Chamber of

Deputies being contested. The Christian Social People’s Party (CSV) won the highest amount of popular votes at just over thirty-eight percent. This was the highest vote share and number of seats of any party since 1954.1

23 14. The Netherlands

Most recent parliamentary election: November 22, 2006 Current ruling party: three-party centrist coalition of the Christian Democrats, the Labour Party and the Christian Union. Electoral System: Party-list proportional representation Fixed terms: Yes – 4 years Next election: May 2011

The Netherlands invests its legislative power in the States-General, a bicameral body, consisting of the First Chamber, Eerste Kamer, with 75 seats and the Second Chamber, Tweede Kame, with 150 seats. The country has eighteen multi-member constituencies.

In the First Chamber, seventy-five members are elected through a proportional representation party-list system by the country's twelve provincial councils to serve four- year terms. The Second Chamber contains 150 members who are also elected through an open-list proportional representation system to serve four-year terms. Seats are distributed at the national level among different lists or groups of lists which have obtained at least 0.67% of the nationwide vote.16

16 IPU PARLINE database

24 15. Norway

Most recent parliamentary election: September 14, 2009 Current ruling party: centre-left ‘red-green’ Coalition Electoral system: Open-list proportional representation Fixed terms: Yes – 4 years

The Norwegian Parliament, also known as the Storting, is composed of 169 members who are elected through an open list proportional representation system to serve four-year terms. Although the Storting is a unicameral legislature, for the process of passing legislation it is divided into two chambers; the Odelsting and the Lagting. After each general election, the Storting elects one quarter of its members to serve in the Lagting, while the remaining three quarters become members of the Odelsting. There are nineteen multi-member districts corresponding to Norway's counties. Any party that wins more than 4% of votes nationwide but does not win enough votes in any constituency to earn a seat is eligible for compensatory "levelling" seats. 17

17 IFES Election Guide

25 Norwegian Parliamentary election 2008

Total vote (%) Change in share Seats Party 2009 of the vote since 2005 (% pts) 2009 2005 Labour Party 35.4 2.7 64 61 Progress Party 22.9 0.9 41 38 Conservative Party 17.2 3.1 30 23 Socialist Left Party 6.2 -2.6 11 15 Centre Party 6.2 -0.3 11 11 Christian People's Party 5.5 -1.2 10 11 Liberal Party 3.9 -2.0 2 10 Other 2.7 --- Total 100.0 169 169

Change in share of the vote since 2005 Distribution seats in the Norwegian Parliament (%pts) 2009

-3-2-101234

The latest Norwegian election took place on September 14, 2009, with the centre-left ‘red- green’ alliance with the Socialist and Centre parties winning office. They narrowly maintained their majority, becoming the first Norwegian government to win a second consecutive term in sixteen years. Labour Party leader Jens Stoltenberg was reappointed as prime minister.

26 16. Poland

Most recent parliamentary election: October 21, 2007 Current ruling party: Civic Platform P arty (Liberal) Electoral System: Proportional representation Fixed terms: Yes – 4 years Next election: October 2010 (Presidential)

Poland has a bicameral National Assembly (Zgromadzenie Narodowe) consisting of the Senat with 100 seats and the Sejm with 460 seats.

Poland elects on national level a president and a legislature. In the Senat, all members are elected by majority vote to serve four-year terms in multi-seat constituencies. In contrast, all members of the Seim are elected by proportional representation to serve four-year terms. There is a 5% threshold for single parties and 8% threshold for coalitions.18

18 IPU PARLINE Database

27 17. Portugal

Most recent parliamentary election: September 27, 2009 Current ruling party: Socialist Party (PS) Electoral system: Proportional representation Fixed terms: Yes President – 5 years Parliament – 4 years Next election: January 2011 (Presidential)

Elections for the president's term of five years in Portugal's semi-presidential system are by popular vote. If a candidate fails to receive an absolute majority on the first ballot, a runoff election between the two leading candidates is to be held within two weeks.

The Parliament of the Portuguese Republic consists of a single chamber, the Assembleia da República, composed of 230 members directly elected for a term of four years by proportional representation in multi-seat constituencies, the districts. Assembly members represent the entire country, rather than the constituencies in which they were elected.

Portugal has eighteen administrative districts, as well as each one of the country's two autonomous regions - the Azores and Madeira - being an electoral constituency. Portuguese voters living outside the national territory are grouped into two electoral constituencies - Europe and the rest of the world - each one of which elects two Assembly members. The remaining 226 seats are allocated among the national constituencies in proportion to their number of registered electors. A semi-presidential system operates in Portugal, with elections for the five-year term of the President being by popular vote. If a candidate does not receive an absolute majority on the first ballot, a runoff election between the two leading candidates is held within two weeks.19

19 Election Resources on the Internet / Recursos Electorales en la Internet 28

Portuguese Parliamentary election results 2009

Total vote Change in Seats Party (%) share of the vote since 2005 (%pts) 2009 2005 Portuguese Socialist Party 36.6 -8.4 97 121 Social Democratic Party 29.1 0.3 81 75 People's Party 10.5 3.2 21 14 Left Bloc 9.9 3.4 16 12 Unitarian Democratic Coalition 7.9 0.3 15 8 Other 6.0 -0.5 0 0 Total 100 230 230 Source: Portuguese Electoral Commission

Change in share of the vote since 2005 (%pts) Distribution of seats in the Portuguese Parliament 2009

-10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4

The most recent Portuguese parliamentary election was held on September 27, 2009, for all 230 Assembly seats. The Socialist party, led by incumbent Prime Minister José Sócrates, gained the largest number of seats; however, they lost their absolute majority attained in the 2005 general election.

The Portuguese Socialist Party polled just fewer than 37% of the vote, falling from 45% in 2005, and won 96 seats. However, it was unable to gain an absolute majority in parliament. In comparison, the main opposition party, the centre-right Social Democratic

Party, led by Manuela Ferreira Leite received 29% of the popular vote, equating to 78 seats in the assembly. The conservative nationalist CDS/PP came third with just over 10%, slightly ahead of the Left Bloc with 9.85%. Voter turnout was estimated at around 60%.

18. Romania

Most recent parliamentary election: November 30, 2008 Current ruling party: Democratic Liberal Party Electoral system: Party-list proportional representation Fixed terms: Yes – 4 years Next election:

Romania has a bicameral parliament, consisting of the Chamber of Deputies, with 332 Deputies and the Senate, with 137 Senators. Both members of the Chamber of Deputies and of the Senate are elected by popular vote through a party-list proportional representation system to serve four-year terms. For both chambers, the electorate vote for candidates in single member districts. The seats in districts where no candidate wins an absolute majority of votes are then distributed to parties proportionally. To gain representation in the Senate, a party must win at least 5% of the national popular vote or win an absolute majority in at least three single-seat districts. Whereas, in the Chamber of Deputies a party must also win 5% of the national popular vote, or in contrast, win an absolute majority in at least six single-seat districts. The President is elected by absolute majority vote to serve a five-year term. 20

20 Parliament of Romania

30 Romanian Parliamentary election results, 2008

Total vote (%) Change in share of the Seats Party 2008 vote since 2004 (%pts) 2009 2004 Democratic Liberal Party 32.4 0.9 115 48 Social Democratic Party and Conservative Party 33.1 -3.7 114 132 National Liberal Party* 18.6 65 64 Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania 6.2 - 22 22 Greater Romania Party 3.1 -9.8 - 48 Others 6.6 -4 18 18 Total 100 334 332 Source: Biroul Electoral Central * In the 2004 elections the Democratic Liberal Party and the National Liberal Party united to form the Justice and Truth Alliance, but split in April 2007.

Change in percentage share of the vote for the Romanian elections to the Chamber of Deputies, 2004- Distribution of seats in the Chamber of 2009 Deputies, 2008.

-12 -10 -8 -6 -4 -2 0 2

The most recent Romanian parliamentary election took place on November 30, 2008. The Democratic Liberal Party won most seats in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, winning

115 seats and 51 seats respectively although the alliance headed by the Social Democratic Party 1 won a fractionally higher vote share.

31 19. Spain

Most recent parliamentary election: March 9, 2008 Current ruling party: Socialist Workers’ Party Electoral system: Simple plurality Fixed terms: Yes – 4 years Next election: March 2012 (Parliamentary)

The Spanish assembly is bicameral, consisting of the 259-member Senate, the upper house and the 350-member Congress of Deputies, the lower house.

In the Senate, 208 members are elected using the simple plurality system and are elected for four-year terms. Fifty-one members are appointed by regional governments. In the Congress of Deputies 248 members are elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional representation to serve four-year terms. Each of the fifty electoral provinces fills a minimum of two seats and the Spanish cities of Ceuta and Melilla fill one seat each.

A party must obtain a minimum of 3 percent of the vote in order to qualify for parliamentary representation. Each province has a minimum of two seats in the Congress of Deputies, plus one additional seat for every 144,500 inhabitants or fraction over 70,000 inhabitants. Each province is allotted four seats in the Senate, regardless of population. Voting is done by party list. Only the names of an individual party and its leader appear on ballots, with the exception of those of the Senate, for which a multiparty list is used, and voters choose any three candidates.21

21 U.S. Library of Congress

32 Spanish Parliamentary election 2008

Total vote (%) Change in share Seats Party 2008 of the vote since 2004 (% pts) 2008 2004 Spanish Socialist Workers' Party 43.9 1.3 169 164 People's Party 39.9 2.2 154 148 Convergence and Union* 3.0 -0.2 10 10 Basque Nationalist Party 1.2 -0.4 6 7 United Left 3.8 -1.2 2 2 Other 8.2 -3.1 9 19 Total 100 350 350 Source: Spanish Interior Ministry

* Democratic Convergence of Catalonia and Democratic Union of Catalonia

Change in share of the vote since 2004 Distribution of seats in the Spanish (%pts) Parliament 2008

-4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

33 20. Sweden

Most recent parliamentary election: September 17, 2006 Current ruling party: Moderaterna Electoral system: Open-list proportional representation Fixed terms: Yes – 4 years Next election: September 19, 2010 (Parliamentary)

The unicameral Parliament of Sweden has 349 members, with 310 of these being elected using a party-list proportional representation system within Sweden's 29 electoral constituencies. The Counties of Stockholm, Skåne, and Västra Götaland are divided into smaller electoral constituencies due to their larger populations.

The remaining 39 seats in the Riksdag are "adjustment seats," distributed amongst the parties in numbers that will ensure that the number of seats in Parliament matches the distribution of the votes in the previous election as closely as possible. In order to win seats in the Riksdag, a party must win at least four percent of the vote nationally, or twelve percent of the vote in any electoral constituency.22

The 2006 Swedish parliamentary election resulted in a victory for the centre-right "Alliance for Sweden." The results were notable for being the Social Democrats' worst since 1921, and the best results for the conservative Moderate Party since 1928.23

22 Swedish Election Authority "Elections in Sweden: The Way It's Done" 23 Statistics Sweden, 2006

34 21. United Kingdom

Most recent parliamentary election: May 5, 2005 Current ruling party: Labour Party Electoral system: Simple plurality Fixed terms: 5-years (not fixed) Next election: 2010 (Parliamentary)

The United Kingdom has a bicameral Parliament consisting of the upper house, the House of Lords with 693 seats and the lower house, the House of Commons with 659 seats. The lower house is elected using the first-past-the-post simple plurality system. Each constituency in the UK elects one MP (Member of Parliament) to a seat in the House of Commons. The political party that wins a majority of seats in the House of Commons usually forms the Government. Elections are held at least every five years.24 In the House of Lords, 526 members are appointed by the monarch and 92 members are inherited. In the House of Commons 659 members are elected by popular vote to serve 5-year terms.25

24 UK Parliament 25 IFES Election Guide

35 C. International Elections

1. Australia

Most recent parliamentary election: November 24, 2007 Current ruling party: Labor Party Electoral system: Simple plurality Fixed terms: Yes House of Representatives - 3 years Senate – years (4 members serving 3 years) Next election: April 2011 (Parliamentary)

Australia is divided into 148 single-member constituencies, which are spread among the six states and 2 territories of the country according to the population. The Australian Parliament has two houses; the House of Representatives which has 150 members and the Senate, containing 76 members. The 150 members of the lower house, the House of Representatives are elected by direct preferential majority vote to serve three-year terms. A candidate wins the election if they gain an absolute majority. If none of the candidates in a division obtains an absolute majority of the first preference votes, a second round of counting is held. At this point, the candidate with the least number of votes is eliminated and the votes which he/she obtained in the first round are redistributed among the remaining candidates on the basis of the electors' second choices. This procedure is repeated until one of the candidates obtains an absolute majority.

In contrast, the 72 members of Australia’s upper house, the Senate, are elected using the single transferable vote proportional representation system to serve six-year terms and four members are elected by direct popular vote to serve three-year terms.26 Voting is compulsory, and a failure to do so with no valid reason is punishable by fine.27

The most recent parliamentary election was held on 24 November 2007, and saw a contest between the ruling Liberal party and the opposition centre-left Australian Labor Party (ALP). The ALP had won 60 seats in 2004 and was seeking a return to power after 11 years in the opposition. The final results gave a major victory to the ALP, which won 83 seats in the House of Representatives, while the Liberal Party took 55. In the Senate elections, the ALP won 18 seats, controlling 32 seats in all. The Liberal Party won 15 seats and also holds 32 seats in all. Therefore, the Liberal Party remains the largest party and retains its one seat majority in the Senate.

26 72 members of the Senate represent the Federal States (12 per each of the six states), with half of these seats renewed every three years. The four remaining members of the Senate represent the two Federal Territories, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory 27 IFES election guide

36 2. Canada

Most recent parliamentary election: October 14, 2008 Current ruling party: Conservative Party of Canada Electoral system: Simple plurality Fixed terms: House of Commons-5 years Senate – no fixed term Next election:

Canada has a bicameral legislature, with a lower house, the House of Commons, and an upper house, the Senate. There are 308 single-member constituencies; therefore the House of Commons has 308 members, each serving five-year terms. Elections are held using the ‘first-past-the-post’ single-member plurality system, and a general election must be held on the third Monday in October in the fourth calendar year following polling day for the last general election.

In the Senate 105 members are appointed by the Governor-General28 on the recommendation of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. There are no terms set for this particular office, and senators are able to serve in their position until the age of seventy- five.29

28Governor-General, currently Michaelle Jean, represents the Queen and automatically designates the leader of the majority party or coalition in the House of Commons as Prime Minister 29 IFES election guide

3. India Most recent parliamentary election: 1st stage: April 16 2009 2nd stage: April 23 2009 3rd stage: April 30 2009 4th stage: May 7 2009 5th stage: May 13, 2009 Current ruling party: Congress Party Electoral system: Simple plurality Fixed terms: Yes President – 5 years People’s Assembly - 5 years

Council of States – 6 years Next election: July 2012 (Presidential)

India has a bicameral parliament, which consists of the People’s Assembly (Lok Sabha) with 545 seats and the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) with 250 seats.

In the People’s Assembly, 543 members elected for a five year term in single-seat constituencies and two members are appointed to represent the Anglo-Indian community. The two unelected members are a relic from the past. The 543 members are elected under the simple plurality electoral system.

Of the 245 members of the Council of States, 233 are elected for a six year term, with one third retiring every two years. The members are elected by legislators of the state and federal territories. The elected members are chosen under the system of proportional representation by means of the Single Transferable Vote. The twelve nominated members are usually an eclectic mix of eminent artists, scientists, jurists, sportspersons, businessmen and journalists. The President of India is elected for a five year term by an electoral college consisting of members of federal and state legislatures.30

30 Indiaelections.co.in

Indian Parliamentary election results 2009

Coalition Seats 2009 2004 Distribution of seats by coalition in the Lok United Progressive Alliance (UPA) 262 156 Sabha elections 2009 National Democratic Alliance (NDA) 158 270 Third Front 76 59 Fourth Front 27 - Other Parties 5 43 Total 528 528 Source: Election Commission of India

The most recent Indian parliamentary elections were held over a five week period - between 16 April and 13 May - in order to ensure a smooth electoral process involving 714 million registered voters. At stake were 543 directly elected seats, two other seats being nominated by the President. Overall turnout was recorded at 63.16% of the 714 million registered voters.

The final results gave 262 seats to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) with the National Congress Party polling the highest number of votes in the coalition, giving them 206 seats. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) gained 158 seats and the parties in the Third Front won a total of 76 seats.

On 20 May, President Pratibha Devisingh Patil appointed Mr. Singh as Prime Minister for a second term. Mr. Singh's new cabinet was supported by the UPA, the Samajwadi Party, three members of the Janata Dal (United), several independent members as well as the BSP which was a part of the Third Front. 31

31 IPU PARLINE database

4. South Africa

Most recent parliamentary election: April 22, 2009 Current ruling party: African National Congress (ANC) Electoral system: Proportional representation Fixed terms: Yes – 5 years Next election:

South Africa has a bicameral Parliament consisting of the National Assembly with 400 seats and the National Council of Provinces with 90 seats. The 400 members of the lower house, the National Assembly, are elected using the proportional representation method. Half of the seats are filled from regional lists submitted by the political parties, while the remaining half are filled from national lists submitted by the parties, or from regional lists where national lists are not submitted. The lists are closed and electors cast a ballot for a single list. Regional seats are allocated among the nine multi- member South African provinces in proportion to their electorates.

In the National Council of Provinces, 54 permanent members and 36 rotating members are nominated by regional legislatures. There is an additional, non-voting 10-member delegation from the South African Local Government Association (SALGA).32

32 IPU PARLINE database

South African Parliamentary election results, 2009

Total vote (%) Change in share Party 2009 of the vote since Seats 2004 (% pts) 2004 2009 African National Congress (ANC) 65.9 -3.8 279 264 Democratic Alliance (DA) 16.7 4.3 50 67 Congress of the People (COPE) 7.4 - - 30 Inkatha Freedom Party (INK) 4.6 -2.4 28 18 Freedom Front Plus (FF+) 0.8 -- 4 United Democratic Movement (UDM) 0.8 -1.5 9 4 Independent Democrats (ID) 0.9 -- 4 Other 2.9 -5.7 34 9 Total 100 400 400 Source: IFES Election Guide

Change in percentage share of the vote for the South African general elections, 2004-2009 Distribution of seats in the South African National Assembly, 2009.

-10 -5 0 5

The most recent South African election took place on April 22, 2009, the fourth to be held since the end of the apartheid in 1994.

The ANC gained the highest percentage of the vote, by a large margin, with 65.9%, gaining 264 seats, just short of the two-thirds majority. The DA followed, with 16.7% of the vote, therefore giving them 67 seats in the National Congress, and COPE won 7.4% of the vote, translating into 30 seats. There was a 77.3% turnout out at the polls.1

On May 6, 2009 the newly elected National Assembly held its first session and elected Mr. Max Vuyisile Sisulu (ANC) as its new Speaker and Mr. Zuma as the country's new President. On May 7, 2009 the National Council of Provinces re-elected Mr. Mninwa Johannes Mahlangu (ANC) as its Chairperson.

5. United States of America

Most recent parliamentary election: 4 November 2008 Current ruling party: The Democrats Upcoming election: November 2010 (Legislative) Fixed terms: President – 4 years House of Representatives – 2 years Next election: 2 November 2010 (Legislative)

The United States has a bicameral Assembly, Congress, composed of the Senate with 100 seats and the House of Representatives with 435 seats. Elections are held every two years - once every four years there is a presidential election, with congressional elections held at the same time. All members of the House of Representatives are elected using the simple plurality system to serve two-year terms. Elections to the Senate occur using the same method; however senators are to serve 6-year terms, with one-third of Senate seats being contested every two years.

The President is elected by absolute majority in the Electoral College to serve a four-year term. In a Presidential election, voters in each state choose among candidates pledged to a presidential nominee. The successful candidates in each state, collectively termed the Electoral College, in turn cast their votes to choose the president. Each state receives a number of Electoral College votes equal to its two Senators plus the number of seats it has in the House of Representatives, which is dependent upon the state’s population. For example, the state of Florida has 25 Electoral College votes, as it has twenty-three members of the House of Representatives and two senators. In forty-eight states, and in the District of Columbia, it is a winner-take-all system – the winner of the popular vote in a given state receives all of that state's electoral votes. A candidate must receive a majority of electoral votes (at least 270) to be elected president. 33 The November 2008 congressional elections were held in conjunction with the presidential elections. At stake were all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 seats in the Senate: one third of the 100 seats (33) up for renewal upon the normal expiry of members' term and two vacant seats (following the resignation and death of their incumbents).34 The Democrat contender, Barack Obama polled 52.7% of the popular vote, giving him 365 Electoral College votes, as opposed to Republican John McCain’s 45.9% and 173 votes in the Electoral College.

33 IFES election guide 34 Office of the Clerk, US House of Representatives

42 US Presidential election results 2008

Total vote (%) Change in share Party 2008 of the vote since Seats 2004 (% pts) 2004 2009 Democrat 52.9 4.7 252 365 Republican 45.9 -5.1 286 173 Other 1.2 0.2 0 0 Total 100 538 538 Source: BBC

Electoral College results 2008

US Congressional Election results 2008

Seats Party Senate House 2006 2008 2006 2008 Democrat 48 56 233 257 Republican 50 41 202 178 Other 2200 Total 100 100 435 435 Source: IPU PARLINE database

Distribution of seats in the US House of Distribution of seats in the US Representatives 2008 Senate 2008

The November 2008 congressional elections were held jointly with the presidential elections. Up for election were all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 seats in the Senate (33 were up for renewal upon the normal expiry of members' term and two vacant seats following the resignation and death of their incumbents).

Main issues which both the Democrat and Republican candidates focused upon included stabilizing the US economy, the deployment of US troops overseas and health care reform. By the end of October 2008, the Democratic candidates had spent over US$ 67 million on campaigning, nearly double that of the Republicans, who had spent US$ 33.7 million.

In the elections to the House of Representatives, the Democrats won 257 seats, while Republicans took 178. In the Senate elections, the Democrats won 20 seats, to hold 59 seats in all (including support from two independents), while Republicans took 15 (41 in all).

In the presidential elections, the Democratic candidate Barack Obama secured 53% of the popular vote (365 votes in the Electoral College), becoming the first African American person to become President of the USA.

The newly elected Congress was convened on 6 January 2009. The House re-elected Ms. Nancy Pelosi (Democrat) as its Speaker. Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (Democrat) became President of the Senate on 20 January. Mr. Robert C. Byrd (Democrat) continues to serve as the President pro tempore.35

35 IPU PARLINE database 44 Glossary

● Bicameral A legislative body with two chambers.

● Unicameral A legislative body with one chamber.

● Hare-Niemeyer method The seat allocation for a party is determined by multiplying the number of votes a party receives by the number of seats to be filled and then dividing the result by the total number of votes cast

● Proportional representation This is when seats won are almost in proportion to votes cast.

- Open list proportional representation This type of system allows voters to express a preference for particular candidates, not just parties. It also provides voters with some control over the order of the list, and therefore which candidates get elected.

- Closed-list proportional representation The party fixes the order in which the candidates are listed and elected, and the voter casts a vote for the party as a whole.

● Realigning election Often named a ‘political realignment’. Describes a dramatic change in the political system of a country.

● Semi-presidential system A system of government in which both the president and prime minister are both active participants in the duties of running the state.

● Simple plurality Also known as ‘First-Past-the-Post (FPTP). Each elector has a single vote, and this is cast, in single member constituencies, for one candidate. The winner is the candidate who has more votes than any other.

● Single Transferable Vote A form of preferential voting in multi-member constituencies. Instead of casting a single vote for a single candidate, a voter can express a list of preferences. Votes are counted according to the first preferences and any candidates who have achieved the quota are elected.

● Voter turnout The number of registered voters who actually voted in an election.