POLYAS Election Glossary
We provide explanations and background information on elections, voting rights and digital democracy
We provide explanations and background information on elections, voting rights and digital democracy
In a proportional vote the election results in proportional allocation of cast votes. This way the proportional ratio of votes for proposed lists is determined. Thus each cast vote is considered and counts towards the proportional share of votes in its legal and democratic implementation. Therefore different legal procedures can be applied: often the allocation of seats can be determined by means of D’Hondt method with highest average system. The opposite of a proportional vote is a majority vote.
Advantages of a proportional vote
Proportional allocation of votes means all cast votes are considered which allows participatory awareness. Moreover, the relatively less popular interest groups have a chance to obtain seats and so the election result is representative of the entire electorate.
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