Forholdstallsvalg

Forholdstallsvalg is a term used for proportional representation electoral systems, where the share of seats a party receives is intended to reflect the share of votes it receives. In these systems voters typically cast ballots for party lists in one or more districts, and seats are allocated to parties according to mathematical rules that convert votes into seats. The goal is to avoid the large distortions that can occur in winner-takes-all systems and to provide a legislature that mirrors the electoral support across the political spectrum.

Seat allocation in forholdstallsvalg is usually based on quotas or divisors. Quota methods divide total votes by a quota (such as Hare or Droop) and distribute seats accordingly, sometimes with remainders used to allocate any remaining seats. Divisor methods, such as D’Hondt or Sainte-Laguë, assign seats by repeatedly dividing each party’s vote total by a series of divisors to determine which parties gain additional seats. Some systems also employ a two-tier approach with district seats and national or regional leveling seats to improve national proportionality.

Key features commonly found in these systems include multi-member districts, party lists that may be closed or open, and an electoral threshold that parties must surpass to gain seats. Thresholds are designed to prevent extreme fragmentation but can exclude smaller parties.

Advantages of forholdstallsvalg include a close correspondence between votes and seats and greater minority representation. Critics argue that the systems can lead to fragmented legislatures and complex coalition bargaining, and that thresholds can distort proportionality.

Variations exist across countries, with different rules for list type, thresholds, and the use of leveling seats. The exact design of forholdstallsvalg is country-specific, though the underlying principle remains proportional representation of voters’ preferences.