Editing Openai/692e10b3-ceec-8003-835c-b938530847be (section)

=== 2. How Proportional Representation Works (Basic Mechanisms) ===

There are several PR designs. Here are the major ones:

===== A. Party-List Proportional Representation (most common) =====

Voters choose a party, not an individual candidate.

Two major variants:
# Closed list – the party decides which candidates fill the seats.
# Open list – voters can influence which candidates on the list get the seats.

Seats are allocated using formulas (e.g., D’Hondt or Sainte-Laguë) to approximate proportionality.

Used in: most of Europe, South Africa, Israel.

===== B. Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP) =====

This is often considered the “best of both worlds.”
* Voters cast two votes: 1. Local representative (single-member district, like FPTP) 2. Party vote (national or regional list)

The legislature is filled so that the final overall composition is proportional to the party vote.

Used in: Germany, New Zealand, Scotland, Wales (part of UK), Bolivia.

===== C. Single Transferable Vote (STV) =====

This is a candidate-based proportional system.
Used in: Ireland, Malta, Northern Ireland.

How it works:
* Multi-member districts (e.g., 5 representatives per district)
* Voters rank candidates.
* A quota is calculated (e.g., 20% of votes in a 5-seat district).
* Candidates hitting the quota win; excess votes transfer; lowest-ranked candidates drop and transfer their votes.

STV maximizes voter choice and minimizes party control.