Editing Elections in China (section)

====Local People's Congresses====
[[File:中国大陆的一个居民小区的选民名单.jpg|thumb|A list of voters posted in a neighbourhood in [[Shenzhen]], [[Guangdong]]. April 11, 2014.]]

Under the electoral law of 1 July 1979, nomination of candidates for direct local elections (in counties, townships, etc.) can be made by the CCP, the [[list of political parties in China|various other political parties]], mass organizations, or any voter [[second (parliamentary procedure)|seconded]] by at least 10 other voters.<ref name="NPC">{{cite web |title=Electoral Law of the National People's Congress and Local People's Congresses of the People's Republic of China |url=http://www.npc.gov.cn/englishnpc/c23934/202012/81779080873d4b268c0dbe53e0b04873.shtml |website=NPC.gov |publisher=National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China |access-date=12 January 2021 |archive-date=16 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916100002/http://www.npc.gov.cn/englishnpc/c23934/202012/81779080873d4b268c0dbe53e0b04873.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=June 2023}} The final list of electoral candidates must be worked out through "discussion and consultation" or primary elections,{{sfn|Chen|1999|p=65}} which officially is conducted by an election committee in consultation with small groups of voters;<ref name="NPC"/>{{Primary source inline|date=June 2023}} though the candidates are chosen by CCP officials in practice.<ref>{{cite news |date=November 10, 2016 |title=Democracy's other version: China holds elections |url=https://www.economist.com/news/china/21709975-only-way-it-likes-them-china-holds-elections |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170618140149/http://www.economist.com/news/china/21709975-only-way-it-likes-them-china-holds-elections |archive-date=June 18, 2017 |access-date=August 26, 2017 |newspaper=[[The Economist]]}}</ref> Election committee members are appointed by the standing committees of the people's congresses at the corresponding level.<ref name="NPC"/>{{Primary source inline|date=June 2023}} The process used for competitive races is known as the "three ups and three downs" ({{lang|zh|三上三下}}, {{transliteration|zh|sān shàng sān xià}}).{{sfn|McCormick|1990|p=141}} According to the Chinese government, the "three ups and three downs" process is supposed to operate as follows:

* the election committee collates all of the nominations, checks them, and publishes the list of nominees and their basic details (first "up"). The published list is given to groups of electors, comprising the voters in each geographical or institutional electorate for discussion (first "down");
* the views of the groups of electors are conveyed via group representatives at a committee meeting, in order to reduce the number of candidates (second "up"). The views of different elector groups and the discussions at the committee meeting are then conveyed to voters, and their views are sought (second "down"); and
* the views of the groups of electors are once again collated and reported to the election committee which, by reference to the views of the majority of electors, determine the final list of candidates (third "up"). The list of names and basic details is published by electorate (third "down").<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yzdb.cn/huanjie/infoshow.asp?id=74|language=zh|script-title=zh:三上三下"协商确定县乡两级人大代表正式候选人的具体做法是什么？|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304123533/http://www.yzdb.cn/huanjie/infoshow.asp?id=74|archive-date=2016-03-04|trans-title=What is the specific procedure for the "three ups and three downs" method for determining through consultation the official candidates for People's Congress Representatives at the county and prefecture level?|publisher=Hebei People's Congress|date=6 December 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The number of candidates for a direct election should be 1.3 to 2 times the number of deputies to be elected.<ref name="NPC"/>{{Primary source inline|date=June 2023}} Where the people's congresses above the county level elect deputies at the next higher level, the number of candidates should be 1.2 to 1.5 times the number of deputies to be elected.<ref name="NPC"/>{{Primary source inline|date=June 2023}} Voting is done by [[secret ballot]], and voters are entitled to [[recall election]]s.{{sfn|Chen|1999|p=66}}

Eligible voters, and their electoral districts, are chosen from the [[Hukou system|family]] ({{lang|zh|户籍}}) or [[work unit]] ({{lang|zh|单位}} or {{transliteration|zh|dānwèi}}) [[civil registry|register]]s for rural and urban voters, respectively, which are then submitted to the election committees after cross-examination by electoral district leaders.{{sfn|Leung|1996|pp=109–110}}

Deputies are elected from either [[single-member districts]] or [[multi-member districts]] using a modified form of [[Multiple non-transferable vote|block]] [[combined approval voting]] in which a voter is allowed as many votes as there are seats to be filled (only one option may be selected per candidate), with the option to vote for or against a candidate, or abstain. The maximum number of deputies per district is three deputies, and each district within the same administrative region must have approximately an equal number of people.<ref name="NPC"/>{{Primary source inline|date=June 2023}} Candidates must obtain a [[majority]] of votes to be elected. If the number of candidates to receive over 50% of the vote is more than the number of deputies to be elected, only those who have obtained the highest vote up to the number of seats available win.<ref name="NPC"/>{{Primary source inline|date=June 2023}} A tied vote between candidates is settled with a [[run-off election]]. If the number of deputies elected is less than the number of deputies to be elected, a run-off election is held to fill the remaining seat(s).<ref name="NPC"/>{{Primary source inline|date=June 2023}} In the run-off election, the candidate(s) who receives the most votes is elected a local deputy; however, a candidate has to win at least one-third of the votes in the run-off to be elected.<ref name="NPC"/>{{Primary source inline|date=June 2023}} Vacancies are filled using [[by-elections]].<ref name="NPC"/>{{Primary source inline|date=June 2023}}