Verhältniswahlrecht

Verhältniswahlrecht, also known as proportional representation, is an electoral system where the distribution of seats in a legislature is largely proportional to the number of votes received by each political party. This contrasts with majoritarian systems, where the candidate with the most votes in a district wins the single seat, regardless of the overall proportion of votes cast. The primary goal of proportional representation is to ensure that smaller parties have a more realistic chance of representation, reflecting the diversity of political opinion within a population.

There are various methods for implementing proportional representation. Party-list proportional representation is common, where voters choose a party, and seats are allocated based on the party's national or regional vote share. Thresholds are often in place to prevent excessive fragmentation of the legislature, meaning a party must achieve a minimum percentage of the vote to gain seats. Other forms include mixed-member proportional systems, which combine elements of proportional representation with district-based elections. The effectiveness and fairness of different proportional representation systems are subjects of ongoing debate among political scientists and policymakers.