WG/Strategies/Ideas/Proportional Representation

[let's keep this space a wiki - this means writing articles describing other things, not hosting them outright. please edit this page so as to describe 'proportional representation.' the following information should not be hosted by our wiki at all, except as a reference link.]

This is from:fairvote.org

==What is Choice Voting?==
Choice voting is a proportional voting system where voters maximize the effectiveness of their vote by ranking candidates in multi-seat constituencies. Through choice voting, like-minded groupings of voters win legislative seats in better proportion to their share of the population. Whereas winner-take-all elections award 100% of power to a 50.1% majority, proportional voting allows voters in a minority to win a fair share of representation.
Internationally, choice voting is also known as “preference voting”, the “Hare system” and the “single transferable vote”. Around the world, proportional voting systems are more common and frequently used than simple majority systems. Choice voting have proven to be an effective tool in electing representative governments, encouraging coalition-building among minority groups and parties, and accommodating voter choice.

HOW CHOICE VOTING WORKS: FOR THE VOTER

[[image: link=""] http://www.fairvote.org/how-choice-voting-works"]]]
Voters simply rank candidates in order of preference, putting a 1" by their first choice a "2" by their second choice and so on. Voters can rank as few or as many candidates as they wish knowing that a lower choice will never count against the chances of a higher choice.

Tabulating a Choice Voting Election

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To win under choice voting, candidates need an exact number of votes called a threshold". For example in a ten-seat legislature candidates need roughly 10% of votes to win and the threshold would be approximately 10% of the total number of votes cast. After counting first choices candidates with the winning threshold are elected.
To maximize the number of voters who help elect someone "surplus" ballots beyond the threshold are transferred to remaining candidates according to voters' next-choice preferences: in the most precise method every ballot is transferred at an equally reduced value. After transferring surplus ballots until no remaining candidate has obtained the winning threshold the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. All of his/her ballots are distributed among remaining candidates according to voters' next-choice preferences.
This process continues until all seats are filled.
[Choice Voting Flow Chart]

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Based on: Proportional Representation at wikispaces