A parliamentary vote is a formal expression of the will of a deliberative assembly. Members present proposals for consideration in the form of motions, which must be seconded, debatable and decided upon.
Generally a motion is put to the assembly for its action by a member who rises, addresses the chair and seeks recognition. The presiding officer then considers whether the motion is in order. A motion can only be considered when no other business is in progress and it yields in precedence to all other questions.
Most parliamentary systems operate with a parliament that is either unicameral or bicameral (one or two chambers). The legislative body votes for laws and the head of state may return a law to parliament, signifying disagreement with it, but this is effectively a veto that can be overridden by a majority vote in the legislature. Several parliamentary democracies also have a special constitutional court that can state a law as unconstitutional.
The majority of countries that use a parliamentary system elect their representatives using proportional representation electoral systems, in which voters mark their choice not for a single candidate but for a party list. In constituencies where a party does not achieve the required quota of seats, additional members are elected by transferring votes from candidates who did not reach their quota. The process continues until there are enough candidates to fill the number of seats in a constituency.
In countries that follow the Westminster tradition, such as those in the United Kingdom, the President appoints the leader of the party or coalition with a majority in parliament as Prime Minister, who forms a Cabinet which must be approved by Parliament. The Prime Minister can be voted out of office by Parliament if it loses confidence in him or her.