Electoral nomenclature Naming electoral systems for clarity

Optimally each different letter used as initial or abbreviation would mean a different thing.

thus S in STV would be, but S as in MSD (multi-seat district) would not.

some duplication seems impossible to avoid:

T stands for both two in TRS and Transferable in STV and SNTV.

M in MMP

AMS additional member system

Block voting (for multi-winner contest)

D for district

FPTP (instead of SMP)

M used for mixed and member as in MMP)

P is for Proportional, not for plurality

SNTV

STV

TRS two-round system

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First we need to differentiate District Magnitude from the contest.

Many systems use staggered terms where DM is not the number of seats up for election at any one time.

Contests

SWC single winner contests

MWC multi-winner contests

(only MWCs can be proportional)

contest can never be more than DM

Districts

D for district

SMD

MMD (more than one member)

DM can never be more than the total number of members in the chamber.

voting methods

Block voting (AKA MXV)

FPTP

Ranked voting (as in STV or IRV)

XV "X" voting (non-transferable voting)

SXV

(STV despite this name is not a voting method but an election system)

Systems

AMS additional member system (form of MMP)

Block Voting (for multi-winner contest) plurality

FPTP (instead of SMP) plurality

IRV (means some as Alternative Voting)

MMP (M used for mixed and member as in MMP)

P is for Proportional, not for plurality

SNTV

STV

TRS two-round system

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