The majority electoral system is one of the options for constructing an electoral system in which the candidates who receive the majority of the votes in the district in which they ran (nominated) are considered as elected candidates. However, the majority can be qualified, absolute or relative. In accordance with this, the majority electoral system in its framework identifies three varieties. Thus, the qualified, absolute or relative type is established depending on what is required: the candidate (or several) or more than the other (or several) candidates, or at least one vote more than half of the voters, or a certain percentage of votes ( as a rule, more or less significantly exceeding half of the voters).
Undoubtedly, a majoritarian electoral system has several advantages. As a rule, it is supported by relatively large political formations, serious party blocs, and other associations (political) that were able to agree on the joint nomination of single lists.
It should be noted that majoritarian elections have an important advantage. In the process, the voter knows directly who he is voting for.
As practice shows, a majoritarian electoral system is capable of ensuring the most successful formation of parliaments, in which there is a stable majority (one-party, as a rule) and a minority consisting of various political factions. Such a structure is more conducive to the formation of a stable, stable government.
The majority electoral system is quite widespread in the world. It is present in Russia, the USA, Australia, France, Great Britain and several dozen other states.
Despite the rather obvious advantages, this electoral system significantly reduces the possibilities of a political minority at the parliamentary level. This applies not only to small, but also medium batches. As practice shows, some of them very often remain without representation in parliament, however, together with this, together they could lead to a very significant part of the country's population.
To implement a majority electoral system, the country's territory is divided into units. From each one, as a rule, one (sometimes two or more) deputy is elected. Candidates are nominated in personal capacity, however, the designation of the party or movement to which they are affiliated is allowed.
Deputies after winning one election must maintain interaction with voters. In this way, they can provide themselves with their support in the next election campaigns.
The disadvantages of the majority system should also include the fact that the votes cast for the losers are lost.
Since 1993, elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation have been held according to a mixed proportional-majority system.
It is established that half (225) of all deputies of the Duma are nominated in single-mandate constituencies (one mandate per constituency). To win, in this case, it is necessary to collect more than other candidates, the number of votes. Thus, the system of majority elections of the relative majority is applied.
In 1993, deputies to the Council of Federations nominated two from each entity. In this case, the majority system was also used, but with a two-mandate constituency.
The deputies were given the opportunity to nominate themselves to the representative bodies of a mixed type. In all constituent entities of the Russian Federation, elections are held in constituencies, and in some constituent entities two were formed: in terms of the number of voters (ordinary) and administrative-territorial (city or district).