One round presidential elections sucks

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Allow me to demonstrate:

Mexico:

Enrique Peña Nieto won the 2012 Mexican presidential election with 38.15%

Felipe Calderón won the 2006 Mexican presidential election with 35.89%

Philippines

Rodrigo Duterte won the 2016 Filipino presidential election with 39.01%

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo won the 2004 Filipino presidential election with 39.99%

Joseph Estrada won the 1998 Filipino presidential election with 39.86%

But the undisputed winner would be Fidel Ramos, winning the 1992 election with... 23.58% Seriously, elected with less than 1/4 of the vote.

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IRV/AV/whatever they're calling it this week works best for Presidential elections, but afaik only India and Ireland use it for that

I believe President of India is elected indirectly, right?

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This is one of my favorite examples of President getting elected with mere 22.2%.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentine_general_election,_2003

Of course it was only because Menem, who actually led the first round (24.5%) withdrew.


Chile used a system similar to states electing Governors by legislature in case of no majority (like recently in Vermont), as evident with the famous 1970 election. Allende got the first place with 36.61% (against Alessandri's 35.27%) and was then formally elected by the Congress.


Estonia uses a somewhat similar system, although an indirect one. If the President is not elected by the Parliament by 3 rounds, it goes to so-called "Electoral Body". Lennart Meri lost all parliamentary ballots, but prevailed in the latter.

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Germany actually has some really quite horrific FPTP behind that MMP facade, they just happen not to matter. I wonder if it might instinctively discourage some of the electoral reform types who seem to be going for it over STV in a lot of places recently.

Weimar Republic had really weird presidential election system. "No majority? OK, we'll do another round with the same candidates" and "you can drop out and be replaced by someone else."

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Chile 1970 is an interesting paradox.

1. Allende won the democratic election as per the book.
2. Allende had a little popular mandate.