Once a decision has been made about the important goals to be achieved—and the important pitfalls to be avoided—in a new electoral system, there are a group of electoral system design variables and elements which can be used to help achieve these goals. They include, among others:
- electoral system family and type
- district magnitude
- the relative role of political parties and candidates
- the form of the ballot paper
- the procedures for drawing electoral boundaries
- the electoral registration mechanisms
- the timing and synchronization of elections
- quotas and other special provisions
These variables will work differently in different combinations. Their use may depend on the level of information that is or can be available within a society, for example the numbers, diversity, and location of the population. Their effect will also depend on other institutional framework tools, such as the choice between parliamentarism and presidentialism, the requirements for registration and management of political parties, the relationship between political parties and elected members, and the role of instruments of direct democracy—referendums, citizens’ initiatives, and recall. It is worth emphasizing again that there is never a single ‘correct solution’ that can be imposed in a vacuum.
