Which statement best captures the Additional Member System (AMS)?

• A. It combines first-past-the-post with additional seats to produce a more proportional result.
• B. It is pure proportional representation with party lists.
• C. It uses single transferable vote in all seats.
• D. It uses a two-round system.

Answer: (A)

AMS mixes a local single-member election with regional seats to achieve a more proportional overall result. In this system, voters typically cast two votes: one for a representative in their local constituency, decided by first-past-the-post, and a second for a party list at the regional level to elect additional members. The constituency seats are filled using the straightforward FPTP method, while the regional seats are allocated to parties in a way that better reflects the total regional vote, often using a proportional method such as the D’Hondt rule. The combination means you keep local representation from individual constituencies, but the regional seats top up the overall balance so the final outcome is more proportional to how people voted.

This isn’t pure proportional representation because not all seats come from party lists; there’s still a local FPTP element. It isn’t the single transferable vote used for all seats, and it isn’t a two-round voting system. In the UK, AMS is used in places like Scotland and Wales to blend local representation with regional proportionality.