Amid nearly three years of conflict in Eastern Europe, the continent faces growing political instability exacerbated by outdated democratic practices. Traditional voting methods—such as multi-stage elections or first-past-the-post systems—often result in strategic, manipulative, and sometimes ideologically inconsistent electoral alliances. These conditions foster superficial, emotionally charged campaigns driven more by marketing than substantive debate.

To safeguard the integrity of democratic institutions, Europe must decisively move toward implementing preferential voting.

Election processes for influential bodies—whether local governments, national parliaments, or supranational institutions—are frequently dominated by informal factions and strategic coalitions, formed primarily to maximize representation rather than ensure competence or effective governance. As a result, loyalty to a faction and the ability to promote narrow interests often overshadow genuine qualifications, undermining the functionality of elected bodies.

Preferential voting directly addresses this fundamental flaw. By allowing voters to rank candidates according to their genuine preferences, elections become a reflection of voters’ nuanced priorities. For instance, in a hypothetical election with 20 candidates competing for five positions, each voter assigns ranked points to their preferred candidates (e.g., 9 points to the top choice, descending to 1 point for the ninth choice). Candidates with the highest aggregated scores across the electorate secure positions. This system significantly reduces randomness, mitigates strategic voting, and ensures elected officials have the broadest possible support.

Implementing preferential voting particularly benefits contexts with limited candidate exposure and brief campaign periods, common in local organizations or associations. Voters’ nuanced rankings allow deeper reflection of community preferences, providing elected individuals with stronger mandates and greater accountability.

Preferential voting is more than an administrative innovation—it is a scientifically testable approach promising increased voter satisfaction, higher levels of trust in democratic processes, and improved overall governance. Comparative studies are necessary and valuable in verifying these outcomes. Initial evidence strongly suggests that societies utilizing preferential voting experience enhanced democratic stability, trust, and legitimacy compared to traditional voting methods.

We have already developed a ready-to-deploy tool enabling secure, transparent, and remote preferential voting. Europe’s political and scientific elites have a unique opportunity to pioneer this innovation, reinforcing democratic resilience, accountability, and civic trust in an era that urgently demands it.

Jacek Gancarson

Warsaw. 2/12/2025