First Past the Post (FPTP) is the electoral system used in Canadian federal, most provincial, and many municipal elections. In FPTP, the candidate receiving the most votes in a constituency wins the seat, even without a majority—if three candidates receive 35%, 33%, and 32% of votes, the candidate with 35% wins. This system is simple to understand and usually produces clear winners, but critics argue it distorts representation: parties can win majority governments without majority support, votes for losing candidates don't contribute to electing anyone, and smaller parties receive fewer seats than their vote share would suggest. Some countries and Canadian municipalities use alternative systems like ranked ballots or proportional representation. Electoral reform debates periodically arise in Canada, with proposals to replace FPTP with systems producing more proportional results, though change has proven politically difficult to achieve.