A parliamentary vote is a decision made by the majority of members in a deliberative assembly such as a parliament. The will of such a body is expressed through its action on proposals which are brought to it in the form of motions, or resolutions. The will of a parliament may also be expressed through the voting process itself, or through the application of certain parliamentary procedures.
A parliament is usually either bicameral, consisting of two parliamentary chambers (or houses), or unicameral, with a single parliamentary chamber. Most parliamentary systems use some form of proportional representation, which gives equal weight to each member.
Electoral methods vary between countries. Some have a first-past-the-post system in which the candidate who gets the most votes is elected. Others, such as those which elect mayors and police and crime commissioners in England and Wales, use a system called the Single Transferable Vote (STV). This system allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. Candidates with the fewest first preferences are eliminated, and their second preference votes are redistributed to the remaining candidates. Eventually, the candidate with the most second preference votes is elected.
Most parliamentary democracies allow the head of state to sign bills, or return them to legislation, to show his or her agreement or disagreement with them. However, a parliamentary majority can override the head of state’s veto with a vote. Some parliaments require a supermajority for dissolution, or to call an early election, although this requirement can be circumvented in a number of ways, including by enacting an Act that bypasses the requirement or removes it altogether, as happened in 2019. Other parliamentary rules limit debate on particular subjects, such as those relating to Cheltenham.