What is the difference between a single-member district election and an at-large system?

Greg Jackson

Single-member districts and at-large systems are both ways to elect representatives to
serve as legislators for a municipality. Some cities or towns use just one of these systems,
while others have a combination of single-member district representatives and at-large
members.

A single-member district system means that each representative is
elected by voters from a particular part of the city. Sometimes this division is done along
geographical lines. More often, it is done by population, so that each representative has the
same number of constituents. Usually, the representative must reside in the district he or she
represents. A positive aspect of this system is that it is more likely that the representative
and the constituents will be able to form a connection. Since the elected official is usually a
well-known entity in their neighborhood, district voters can make a more informed
decision...

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