äänestyskynnystä

Äänestyskynnys, also known as an electoral threshold, is a minimum percentage of the total vote that a political party must achieve to be represented in a legislature. This mechanism is employed in proportional representation electoral systems to prevent extreme fragmentation of parliament and to encourage the formation of broader, more stable coalition governments. Parties that fall below the threshold do not gain any seats, even if their vote share would typically entitle them to some under a pure proportional system.

The specific percentage of the threshold varies significantly between countries. Common thresholds range from 1% to 5%. For instance, Germany has a 5% threshold, while Sweden and Norway use a 4% threshold. Some countries have no threshold at all, allowing even very small parties to gain representation. The introduction of an äänestyskynnys is often debated, with proponents arguing it leads to more governable parliaments and opponents contending it disenfranchises smaller parties and their supporters. The effectiveness and fairness of electoral thresholds remain a subject of ongoing political science research and public discussion.