VIŠE IZBORA, MANJE SLOBODE? PROPORCIONALNI SISTEMI, PREFERENCIJALNO GLASANJE I IZBORNI INTEGRITET
MORE CHOICE, LESS FREEDOM? PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION, PREFERENTIAL VOTING, AND ELECTORAL INTEGRITY

Summary/Abstract: Does the design of electoral systems shape evaluations of electoral processes as free and fair? If so, what elements of the electoral system matter the most for such an assessment? Drawing on the institutional theory of electoral integrity as well as prior theoretical insights on district magnitude, party candidate selection, and preferential voting systems, the study examines electoral cycles across European countries over the past fifteen years. Evaluations of electoral integrity, derived from the Perceptions of Electoral Integrity database, along with individual indicators of electoral malpractice, such as vote buying, serve as an empirical testing ground for the interplay between institutional arrangements and electoral integrity. The results of the regression models partially challenge prevailing theoretical expectations regarding the advantage of proportional representation in ensuring free and fair elections, calling into question the uniformity of such claims. Specifically, variables related to district magnitude and the number of preferential votes emerged as particularly strong predictors of variation in electoral integrity scores, in particular when used in conjunction with candidate selection procedures.

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