Single Member District

Definition

A single-member district is an electoral district that sends one officeholder to represent it in a legislature. By federal law, all members of the United States Congress are elected from single-member districts. Under single member plurality systems, an area is divided into a number of geographically defined voting districts, each represented by a single elected official. Voters can only vote for their district’s representative, with the highest vote-getter winning election, even if he or she has received less than half of the vote.

Example

Questions

1. What is a single member district?

2. In a single member district election what portion of the single member district does candidate who gets the most first place votes receive?

3. In a single member district election what portion of the single member district does the candidate who gets the second most votes receive?

4. In what US elections are single member district elections held?

5. Instead of single member districts, some countries elect their legislatures using proportional representation. Instead of the single candidate with the most votes winning a House district's seat, a proportional representation system would elect multiple representatives in each district, distributing seats in the legislature roughly in proportion to the votes each party receive. Which system sounds better to you?

6. Who represents your single member district in the US House?

7. What emoji would best represent a single member district?

Remember!

Now, let’s commit this term to our long-term memory. On a scrap piece of paper, take 10 or 20 seconds to single member district! Draw with symbols or stick figures if you wish. Nothing fancy. Don’t expect a masterpiece. No one else will see this but you. Look at your drawing. That’s all - now it’s downloaded into your memory. Destroy the piece of paper in a most delightful way.

---

Further Review