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Scottish Parliament elections use a mixed member system,
comprising a first-past-the-post component and a proportional
representation component.
Proportional Representation
Proportional Representation
What does it mean? An electoral system in which parties
gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them.
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
The Scottish Parliament uses the
Additional Member System
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
How the Additional Member System (AMS) works
There are 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs)
There are two ways an MSP can be elected. Each elector (voter) has two votes.
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
Your First Vote Scotland is divided into 73 constituencies
and each constituency elects one MSP. These are known as CONSTITUENCY MSPs and are elected by 'first past the post' in exactly
the same way as MPs are elected to Westminster. This is the elector's 'first vote'.
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
Your Second Vote The 'second vote' is used to elect 56 additional members. Scotland is divided into 8 parliamentary
Regions and each region elects 7 regional MSPs. In the second vote the voter votes for a party rather than a
candidate. The parties are then allocated a number of additional members to make the overall result more
proportional. The regional MSPs are selected from lists compiled by the parties. These MSPs are also sometimes
referred to as List MSPs.
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
73CONSTITUENCY
MSP
56REGIONAL(OR LIST)
MSP
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
The List Vote How Does It Work?
THE D’HONDT FORMULA (Victor D’Hondt was a Belgian Mathematician)
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
The Formula The regional vote cast ÷
number of MSPs already won in the region, + 1
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
The party or person with the largest number after this formula is applied
wins the round and wins One Regional MSP.
This formula will be used 7 times in 7 rounds to elect 7 regional MSPs
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
Features of the Additional Member System
Voters get two votes - to elect 1 constituency MSP and 7 regional/ list MSPs Each person living in Scotland has a total of 8 MSPs to represent them. The overall result is fairly proportional.
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
It is unlikely that one party will get an overall majority and therefore coalitions are likely. (For example, see the 1999 election results when Labour and the Liberal Democrats formed a coalition government - the Scottish Executive)
New parties and smaller parties are more likely to get representation than by using 'first past the post'. (e.g. Green Party, Independents, etc)
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
ON-GOING DISCUSSIONS, AMENDMENTS,
ADJUSTMENTS, ETC, ETC
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
Willie Sullivan, director of ERS Scotland: "Just because Scotland's modern electoral system makes Westminster look like a tribal council doesn't mean that we shouldn't
try and make it better.
"Concentrations of power are never good. We are convinced our democracy would work better with more parties in the system so that more voices are represented
and heard and that power is shared, checked and balanced."
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
Derek MacKay, the SNP's business convenor, said it agreed with reforming Holyrood's voting system, but said it was powerless to do so as this was controlled by Westminster.
"The problem this report does not address in its recommendations is that control of Scotland's voting
system is held firmly at Westminster," he said. "The SNP has long argued for fairer voting. However, what this
year's results show is that regardless of the system people vote for the party that best represents their views and
ambitions."
PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION
END