first past the post
nounEtymology A metaphor derived from horse racing, referring to the first horse to physically pass the winning post at the finish line, regardless of the distance to the runner-up.
1
A voting system where the candidate with the most votes (a plurality) wins, without any form of preference transfer.
- In our two-party system, that aloofness and hostility is partly a result of a first-past-the-post electoral system that worships the wedge, with each party terrified that one issue might catch fire and swing marginal seats away from victory.2023 August 7, Nesrine Malik, “British people are kinder and less divided than politicians give us credit for”, in The Guardian:
- Synonyms
- simple majority voting, plurality voting