Vote splitting arises when three or more candidates compete, and two candidates, who share some sort of similarity, draw votes away from each other. The most common example is when a third party or minor candidate pulls votes from a major candidate on the same side of the political spectrum. This can cause an unpopular candidate to win unexpectedly, as the third party candidate takes votes that would have gone to the main candidate people prefer, changing who wins the election.

Vote splitting occurs because the candidates have similar ideologies or represent similar groups. Despite sharing similarities, voters can only support one candidate. In our choose-one system, a vote for one candidate automatically denies support for others, even if you find them acceptable.

Why is Vote Splitting Bad

Vote splitting is bad for democracy for many reasons:

Denies Voters True Choice: 

Voters may hesitate to support their preferred candidate due to the fear of splitting the vote and throwing the race to their most disliked choice. Voters select candidates based on fear rather than genuine preference.

Unrepresentative Winners: 

A large group with too many candidates in a race will divide their voting power across all their aligned candidates. This can lead to a candidate who doesn't represent the community or group triumphing over the many challengers.

Lowers the Bar to Win: 

Hyper partisan candidates thrive in big election fields where vote splitting lowers how many votes it takes to win. If just 15% of people have extreme views, but unite behind one candidate, they can win a 10-candidate election.

No Mandate to Govern: 

It is rare for candidates in a vote split election to have a winner with 50% support. This can erode public trust in the democratic process by raising questions about whether the elected candidate truly represents the will of the majority.