Filing has closed for the French presidential election being held next month. Nine parties succeeded in placing a presidential nominee on the ballot. See this story. Also, an independent candidate qualified.
The nine parties are the Union for a Popular Movement, the Socialist Party (which are the two biggest parties), and these on the left: Green, Left Front, New Anti-Capitalist, and Workers’ Struggle; and on the right, the National Front and Rise Up Republic; and the centrist Democratic Movement. If no one gets 50%, a run-off will be held two weeks later. Thanks to Thomas Jones for the link.
What a shame with all this ballot access that there is no “libertarian” party in France. It would be nice to see what vote percentage a party of Frederic Bastiat style econimics might poll. Oh wait… perhaps not!
Any of the minor parties somehow claiming that the top 2 system violates the Constitution of France ???
#2, it’s not a “top two system”. The first round in France IS an election. Someone can be elected in the first round. The run-off is only held if no one gets 50%.
By contrast, in top-two systems in California and Washington, no one can be elected in the first round. The first round is not an “election” because no one can be elected. All the first round is, is a ballot access restriction to the election itself.
Gee – giant correction in # 2
the *conditional* top 2 system etc.
How about copying the French system in the top 2 States in the U.S.A. ???
If the French system were to be used in the U.S., the election would be in November and the run-off would be two weeks later, also in November.
The French “two-round” system has a lot to recommend it. Last election (2007), 12 parties and candidates ran in the first round. The center-right UMP and the French Socialist Party faced off in the second round two weeks later. Turnout was virtually identical in the first and second rounds (a huge difference with U.S. “runoff elections” when turnout is usually anemic). A broad range of voices was heard in the first round of voting, while virtually all French voters found something to like in the two finalist parties. The U.S. could do a lot worse than emulating the French election system.
Do French citizens living outside French territory get disenfranchised for the virtually guaranteed second round?
Or maybe expatriates don’t have the vote in France.