Is it true that in a system of direct representation the votes for a losing candidate are “wasted?”
No government policy will find universal favor, which means that there must be losers in political contests. In direct representation systems the votes cast for candidates other than the winners (whether by first round or runoff), do not become aggregated for alternate representation. For this reason, direct representation is crudely labeled “Winner Take All.” This causes some critics to argue that these votes as “wasted,” as if their vote had no effect in the subsequent political process. This argument ignores some very important points. First, an election itself is the final part of a much longer campaign. In direct representation systems, regional campaigns raise critical issues and spark discussion and debate among citizens and candidates. Citizen activism can set the political agenda and influences the decision processes of the candidates, as they must address the widest range of concerns in order to be elected. Second, an election with a narrow majority motivates the winning cand
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