Election systems

• What voting system is used in the council elections in Scotland?

  Single transferable vote
• What must voters do with the candidates on their ballot paper?

  Number the candidates in order of choice
• What is required for a candidate to be elected under the single transferable vote system?

  A candidate must reach the quota of votes
• What happens in Stage 1 of the vote counting process?

  Only first preferences are counted
• What occurs if a candidate reaches the quota in Stage 1?

  The candidate is elected
• What happens to votes above the quota in Stage 2?

  They are transferred to the next choice
• What happens if no candidate reaches the quota in Stage 2?

  The candidate with the lowest votes is eliminated
• What occurs in Stage 3 of the vote counting process?

  Votes from the eliminated candidate are passed to the next preference
• What is the overall process of counting votes in the single transferable vote system?

  1. Stage 1: Count first preferences; elect candidates reaching quota.
  2. Stage 2: Transfer excess votes above quota; eliminate lowest candidate if no one reaches quota.
  3. Stage 3: Pass eliminated candidate's votes to next preference.
  4. Repeat until all seats are filled.
• What is the final outcome of the voting process?

  All councillors up for election are elected
• What voting system is used to elect members of the London Assembly?

  Additional Member System
• What does proportional representation mean?

  an electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them.
• How many votes do you get when voting in an election using the additional member system?

  Two votes
• What happens when the votes are counted?

  The candidate with the most votes is elected
• What are the steps to vote using the additional member system?

  • Receive two ballot papers
  • Vote for constituency assembly member
  • Vote for a party
  • Read instructions carefully
  • Ask for help if needed
• What is the First Past The Post voting system?

  The candidate with the most votes wins.