Rolling election

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Rolling elections or staggered elections, are elections in which representatives are elected over a period of time rather than all at once. The presidential primaries in the United States is a good example of how a rolling election may be conducted.

Bear in mind that presidential primaries do not directly elect the president. Rather, presidential primaries serve to elect delegates who vote for the president in a regular election. Historically, presidential primaries provided a means to conduct a country-wide general election in a time when it was not possible for the electorate to know the candidates. In rolling elections, voters have information about previous voters' choices. In today's context of rapid communication, presidential candidates can put disproportionate resources into competing strongly in the first few stages, because those stages affect the reaction of latter stages.

Another use of a rolling election is one in which representatives are elected directly into government office. In the United States, Senators have a 6 year term but they are not all elected at the same time. Rather, every two years, one third of US Senators face reelection. The rolling election of Senators helps keeps some continuity in the Senate.

Canada elects its 308 Members of Parliament (MPs) to the Canadian House of Commons via a general election. What would a rolling election scheme look like as an electoral reform? Let's say that each seat has to be contested within 5 years, or 60 months. Then, there ought to be 5 or 6 by-elections going on each month in different ridings around Canada. Ideally, no more than one election should be held on any given day so that electors have the fullest possible knowledge of the status quo at the time of their voting.

Some Benefits:

• There is no need to interrupt the government's business for general elections.
• There is no need for votes of no confidence except to trigger a vote within Parliament to choose a new PM or Speaker.
• The government no longer has a spending cycle in which it tries to buy votes just before elections.
• Transient events might affect the voting pattern of a small number number of ridings, but not enough to cause a sudden shift in government direction.
• Events that annoy the electorate will trigger a gradual shift in government strength away from MPs responsible for the problem.
• Focus of the electorate shifts from parties and leaders to individuals who can best represent the electorate's interests.
• Proportional representation can be achieved by strategic voting by the electorate, without introducing complicated PR formulas.
• Electors can vote strategically with full knowledge what effect it will have on government stability.
• Electors will more likely vote in independents to counter-balance the current preponderance of ideological party clones in Parliament.
• There cannot be sudden changes in government direction.
• Problems arising from different time-zones go away.
• There will be continuity in government. There will always be a majority of members with years of Parliamentary experience.
• Cost savings may arise from having a relatively small number of trained teams whose job it is to organize by-elections.

Some refinements:

• Have an odd number of months between by-elections so that the next by-election in any given riding falls in a different month.
• The Prime Minister (leader of the government) must be elected by Members of Parliament.
• Replace the first past the post electoral system with a preferential voting system.