Electoral systems determine how votes translate into seats or office, and the choice has major consequences: in a first-past-the-post system, the candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins outright, even without a majority, which tends to favor larger parties, while proportional representation allocates seats roughly in line with a party's overall vote share, generally giving smaller parties a fairer chance at representation. Political participation extends well beyond voting -- it includes running for office, joining a political party, attending town halls or community meetings, petitioning officials, and participating in peaceful protest. Turnout and representation matter for policy because elected officials respond, rationally, to the groups most likely to vote and organize; when a demographic group (often youth, in many African contexts) turns out at low rates, policies tend to underweight that group's priorities regardless of its actual population share.