Where is single transferable vote used in the UK?

STV is not used for elections to the UK Parliament at Westminster but is used for all Assembly, local government and previously European elections in Northern Ireland, and for local elections in Scotland, and will also be used for local elections in Wales starting in 2022.

What is meant by mixed election system?

A mixed electoral system is an electoral system that combines a voting system using single-member districts with an element of proportional representation (PR). A distinguishing characteristic of mixed systems is the fact that every voter can influence both the district-based and PR aspects of an election.

What is proportional representation and how does it work?

More and more politicians in the UK are pitching for a move to proportional representation (PR), an electoral system in which the overall vote share a party wins determines the number of seats in the legislature.

Why do parties use STV and multi-member constituencies?

With STV and multi-member constituencies, parties have a powerful electoral incentive to present a balanced team of candidates in order to maximise the number of higher preferences that would go to their candidates.

What are constituencies and how do they work?

Constituencies are more natural, covering a whole town or a county. This creates a recognisable local link, and gives voters a choice of representatives to talk to. To calculate the quota: There were 109,525 valid votes cast and three seats to be filled. So, 109,525 divided by four (because we have three seats, plus one), then plus one = 27,382

What are sursurplus votes and second preference?

Surplus votes from candidates who exceed the quota are transferred to the remaining candidates who were chosen as number 2 (second preference) on the elected candidate/s’ ballot papers (which show a second preference). All votes are transferred at a fractional value.