Parliamentary vote is a system for working together in groups, evolved from centuries of experience of people doing this. It is logic and common sense crystallized into rules that facilitate the transaction of business. It is the basis for fair and free discussion and for decisions by majority vote. The success of any organized group is directly related to the skill and knowledge of its officers.
Parliaments are elected by the citizens of a country (or territory). Usually voters choose a member of a parliamentary body to represent them in the House of Commons at Westminster. These are known as Members of Parliament (MPs). Electors may be able to choose more than one candidate and may be required to vote for a particular party. The Prime Minister is chosen by the leader of the party or coalition that forms a majority in the House.
Most countries use a plurality system with single-member constituencies. This means that the MP with the most votes is elected. Some use a different form of proportional representation. The most successful example of this is the’mixed-member proportional’ (MMP) system pioneered in West Germany after World War II. It involves electing some representatives from individual constituencies and the others from party lists. The seats that parties win in constituencies are subtracted from the list allocations in order to make the overall result more proportional to party votes.
At the end of a debate on a motion, Members are asked to voice their opinion or’speak up’ on a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ basis by calling out ‘ayes’ or ‘nays’. If there is a difference in opinion on the issue being considered this can be determined by a formal division where the House is divided into two voting lobbies to enable the Members to be counted.