Electoral Systems modular workshop in Ukraine

IFES and IFES-CEC Training Center Delivered BRIDGE Workshop on Electoral Systems.

On May 27-29, 2025, the Central Election Commission/IFES Training Center conducted a BRIDGE modular workshop on Electoral Systems.

The aim of the workshop was to provide participants with knowledge on characteristics of all electoral systems’ families and then to make thorough analysis of each electoral system type.

The workshop was held in Ukrainian language and was facilitated by BRIDGE Accrediting facilitators Evgeniy Krikopolo, Alona Sheshenia and Yevheniia Pavlovska. The training assembled 31 representatives of the CEC.

The BRIDGE workshop deepened knowledge of the participants on different electoral systems. Some of the start-up activities developed understanding of basic principles of the electoral systems that later lead to profound analysis of the electoral systems within each family:

·    The principle of representation was explained to the participants. Understanding of the different forms of representation contributed later to analysis of every electoral system and led to the discussion how an electoral system can preserve different types of representation without reserving the seats.

·    Another start-up session focused on the three building “bricks” of every electoral system: the constituency magnitude, the ballot design and the formula. For visibility and summary, in parallel to explanation of the systems, facilitators were sorting the systems into a) Constituency Magnitude: MMD vs. SMD; b) Ballot Structure: Categorical vs. Preferential; Party vs. Candidate oriented; c) Electoral Formula: Plurality vs. Majority vs. Proportional to the share of votes.

All sessions on technical understanding of systems were highly interactive and enabled participants to try all types of electoral systems in practice. Participants had the opportunity to try themselves in the role of voters, candidates and as well as polling officials, which ensured better understanding of voting and counting procedures of each electoral system.

One session was devoted to modeling of the results of the 2014 and 2019 Parliamentary elections in Ukraine under the MMP system. This session helped to clearly see the difference between the parallel system which was used in Ukraine to elect the current Parliament and the MMP system. The participants themselves figured out how the composition of the Ukrainian Parliament would change under this electoral system and what impact this could have on politics.

Another major focus of the workshop was understanding of gender representation within the presented electoral systems and measures to increase women representation.

Major achievement of the workshop was that participants agreed that there is no perfect electoral system and that the selection of a particular system should be based on the socioeconomic, historical, and political circumstances of each country in a given moment of its existence.

Participants throughout the workshop expressed interest and actively engaged in all activities.