A parliamentary vote is a formal way of deciding whether Parliament supports or rejects a proposal. In most parliamentary systems – including those of the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – the will of the majority must prevail. The rights of minorities must be respected, but the decision of a majority should not be overturned unless there is strong evidence that it is unlawful. In some parliamentary systems, the supreme law of the land – known as a constitution – sets out the rules by which a legislature operates. A constitutional court can declare a law unconstitutional if it violates the terms of a constitution.
Most countries in the world with a parliamentary system elect their members of parliament (MPs) using a form of proportional representation. Generally, each member of a constituency is entitled to one vote in an election. The MPs who win the most votes are elected to Parliament; those who do not are eliminated. There are 650 constituencies in the UK, so each voter will have a number of candidates to choose from, usually representing different political parties.
During debates, MPs indicate their vote by shouting ‘aye’ or ‘no’ when invited to do so by the chair of the debate. If one response is louder than the other, the chair may declare that the ayes or noes have it, and a division takes place. Since January 2019, new parents have been able to cast their votes through “proxies” – other MPs who vote on their behalf. The tellers for the winning side – the ayes or noes – are then called out from their stations in the House and they line up to read out the result of the division to the House.
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