PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1707, 3 May 1917, Page 1

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION.

NEW METHOD OH VOTING. The elect ion of the City Council in (’hrietchurch this year is the first election held in New Zealand under the provisions of l!ie Local Elections (Proportional Representation) Act, which was passed in 301 +. Under the proportional representation system, the optional use of which is provided for in this Act, the voter, instead of marking the hallo! paper in the usual way. indicates the order of his preference by placing iigures opposite the names of candidates. The Ac! provide.that the figures 1,2, and M imisl be placed opposite the names of three candidates, but voters, if they so desire, may extend the marking, ami signify their order of preference for as many 'other candidates as they please. The mimes of no eandidale may be struck out. 'fine method of counting the votes is somewhat complicated. The numbers of “lirsl choices" recorded for each candidate are aggregated, and the total is divided by one more than the number of candidates repaired to be elected and the quotient, increased by one, disregarding any remainder, becomes (he “quota - ’ and no candidate 1 can be elected until he obtains a number of votes equal to or greater than the quota. When the number of “lirsl choice” votes obtained by any candidate is in excess of the quota, the surplus is transferred to other candidates, in the order of the voters’ preferences. ’there also are elaborate provisions .for counting and transferring second, third, and other choices. After ail the first choices have been counted, and alt surpluses transferred, and no candidate or less than the candidates required to be elecled lias or have been elected, the candidate lowest on the poll is excluded, and all the votes obtained by him are transferred to the candidates next in the order of the voters’ respective preferences. When a candidate is raised to the quota he is declared elected. The process of exclusion is repeated until there remains the number of candidates required. Councils have the power to adopt the provisions of the Act by the passing of a special order.