The Voters Decide?: Preferential Voting in European List Systems

The electoral law in many European countries permits voters to indicate preferred candidates within a party list rather than to make a choice only between parties. This paper examines briefly the various voting arrangements which allow this and considers in some detail the patterns of their utilization and their possible consequences. Whilst such behaviour can be understood as a form of political participation, it is evident that patterns vary and consequences are uncertain due to the complex interrelationship between the different elements in the electoral situation.