This question is posted by ACE on behalf of Paul Minoletti.

Question

In 2012 Myanmar held elections for Village Tract Administrators (VTAs) for the first time - N.b. Village Tracts are typically composed of 3-4 villages. However the voting system is quite unusual and convoluted. There was one vote per household that was cast by the registered 'head of household'. The heads of households voted for '10 Household Heads'. These 10 Household Heads then voted for '100 Household Heads'. And then the 100 Household Heads voted for the VTA. 

The next elections for VTA will take place in late 2015, and it is currently planned that the voting system will remain largely unchanged, except that there will no longer be 100 Household Heads - i.e. 10 the Household Heads will vote directly for the VTAs. 

My questions are:

1. Can you tell me if you are aware of any other countries that use only vote per household ?

2. Can you tell me if you are aware of any countries with a similar kind of multi-stage election process for local elections?

3. Can you suggest any research that has been carried out that looks at the effects of such systems?

Summary of Responses:

Most practitioners agreed that the Myanmar municipal election system of ‘one vote per household’ appears without parallel in other countries. Concerns were expressed about the extent to which this system represents the will of the populace in accordance with democratic norms and international human rights standards, although some practitioners argued that the practice was defensible. It was noted that Rwanda and Kenya have multi-stage local elections, whereby certain office holders are chosen by a smaller group of voters than the general electorate. However, in both these countries, the first stage of the electoral process is open to all eligible voters, unlike in Myanmar. Practitioners noted the need for further explication of the Myanmar system.

Contributing Members:

• Gerard Le Marec
• Liberata Irambona
• Ayo Adje Agbokousse
• Paul Minoletti
• Ababacar Fall
• Fredy Martin Rivera
• Phyo Tin Oo

It seems democratic. It's quite the same un USA for electing the President at an another level.

We have also "Grands électeurs" in France, who are mayors from municipalities that have been elected by all elegible voters.

It is far much better that giving the right to vote to 16 years old teenagers, who havn't the age to be considered as adults (18 yrs) and can't be punished severely even the commit crimes. This just to get more voices for the ruling country party..

.And we are said to be democratic countries....

Rwandan Example, for Mayors of Districts and 12 Senators elected from 5 constituencies, they are elected by a college of voters that have be elected by all eligible population. So for Rwanda depending on type of elections, you may have different systems. 

Ce système de vote est originale. Je n'arrive pas à le bien comprendre.

J'ai revu mes cours de droits constitutionnel, je n'y ai rien trouver de semblablable.

Si ce système se perpétue, il va falloir en faire un chapitre dans les livres de droit constitutionnel.

Très cordialement.

Ayao Adjé AGBOKOUSSE
Administrateur civil à la retraite

Ancien fonctionnaire des Nations Unies
Expert en organisation des élections
Spécialiste de la décentralisation

Formateur BRIDGE semi-accrédité

Consultant indépendant
Coordonnateur de la cellule d'Appui aux Elections
Président du CRDD
Tél: +228 92 43 81 01
Email: [email protected]

Thanks for the comments. Gerard, it is important to note that there is only one vote per household, which is cast by the household head. The houshold head is typically an older male, and so this aspect is considerably non-representative as well as not being fully democratic. I haven't had the opportunity to reesearch it yet but I also expect the convoluted multi-stage election system would decreases transparency and increases the scope for deal-making.

Ce système de vote est assez original, je ne connais pas de pays qui pratique ce genre de vote qui je comprends n'est pas très démocratique, car j'estime que pour des exigences de démocratie, le vote doit être individuel et personnel. On ne doit pas donner à une tierce personne le soin de voter à votre place. Certes  dans mon pays,  il y'a   des votes au suffrage indirecte qui permet à un collège de conseillers municipaux élu dans un premier temps au suffrage universel directe de choisir parmi eux un maire qui de fait est élu au suffrage universel indirecte. C'est là une forme d'élection par étage, mais qui met en lice des conseillers élu d'abord au suffrage directe. Je ne connais pas de pays qui pratique ce genre de vote. C'est vraiment un cas isolé qui ne peut pas être considéré comme une bonne pratique en matière électorale.

Ababacar FALL

Expert électoral

Secrétaire Général du GRADEC (Groupe de Recherche et d'Appui Conseil pour la Démocratie Participative et la Bonne Gouvernance)

Dakar, Sénégal

Also in 2015 Yangon Municipal Election, Myanmar, they used vote per household.

Ce système de vote est tout à fait particulier,  en réalité le vote est individuel et les chefs de ménages n'ont aucun droit de voter a la place des membres de sa famille. Mais objectivemeent ce système est nouveau et pour mieux le juger,  il faut avoir le code électoral ou les textes subséquents qui organise ces élections