SainteLaguëmetod

The Sainte-Laguë method is a highest‑averages method used to allocate seats in proportional representation electoral systems. It was developed by the French mathematician André Sainte-Laguë in 1910. The method aims to distribute seats in proportion to the votes each party receives, while avoiding excessive distortion in the representation of smaller parties.

In the standard version, each party is assigned a sequence of quotients equal to its votes divided by odd numbers: 1, 3, 5, 7, and so on. To allocate a fixed number of seats, the highest quotients are selected for as many seats as exist, and a party earning a quotient gets a seat. After a party receives a seat, its next quotient uses the next odd divisor. The process repeats until all seats are filled.

There are variants of the method. The most common modification is the modified Sainte-Laguë, which uses 1.4 as the first divisor instead of 1 (followed by 3, 5, 7, …). This adjustment can alter the balance between larger and smaller parties. Sweden is known for using such a modified Sainte-Laguë system in national elections.

Compared with the D’Hondt method, Sainte-Laguë generally yields more proportional results and tends to favor smaller parties less aggressively than D’Hondt, though exact outcomes depend on vote shares and the number of seats. The method is used in several European countries for national or regional elections, often in their modified forms. See also highest‑averages methods and D’Hondt method.