Ireland European Parliament election, 2004 (Ireland) - constituencies Constituency Area Seats Pop. per Seat

Dublin	Dublin	4	1.2m	275k
East	Leinster less Dublin	3	1.1m	333k
South	Munster less Clare	3	1.1m	333k
North-West	Connacht plus Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Clare	3	880k	270k
Total		13	4.2m	300k

Ireland operates a multi-seat single transferable vote proportional electoral system where voters vote for candidates, not parties, although voters party affiliation (or none) are indicated on the ballot paper.

In National/Euro elections, constituencies are of 3, 4 or 5 seats although when the Irish EP representation went down from 15 to 13, two constituencies lost a seat and there is no 5 seat Euro constituency left.

A candidate is elected by reaching a quota is which is calculated by dividing the vote by the no. of seats+1 and adding 1 - thus ensuring that 3 and only thre candidates can reach the quota.

Thus in a 3 seat constituency the quota ends up being 25% of the vote (+1 vote)
.

On the face of it, this would appear to present a rather high 25% barrier to entry.  However because votes are transferable, all it takes is for a number of (e.g. left/green) candidates to obtain c. 25% of the vote between them and transfer the vote effciency between them.

The transfer mechanism works by how the voter has marked their ballot paper.  Instead of an X for one candidate, a voter goes 1,2,3,4,5 in order of preference for the candidates he likes and can ignore other candidates completely.  When the votes are counted they are counted on the basis of the No. 1 preferences first.  If that candidate is elected (on reaching the quota) or eliminated (on being the lowest remaining candidate) his votes are redistributed to remaining candidates on the basis of the 2nd. preference on his ballot papers.  (in the cases of an elected candidate, only his SURPLUS pver and above the quota is redistributed as his quota of votes has already elected him cannot be used to elect another.)

It all seems very complicated to an outsider, but is a joy to aficionados and is surprisingly well understood by the population as a whole.  It allows for all kinfs of party alliances, regional alliances, issues alliances - e.g. women tend to transfer more to women - and allows for no end of more or less informed speculation by the pundocracy which is an important part of marketing the electoral process itself.

The bottom line is that even an independent candidate, or one representing a minor party can get elected provided the candidate is popular and is seen as being closely aligned with other candides who have been eliminated and whos votes have become available for transfer.  It encourages alliances and working together rather than polarisation within the sustem, as polarising candidates tend nopt to get many transfers from others.   Thus a Sinn Fein candidate, typically, needs to get a higher first preference vote than a Labour candidate, because the latter is likely to pick up more lower preference transfer votes on subsequent counts.

I will write up a more detailed account - with examples - in a diary shortly if people are interested.

Bottom line, I think it is a good system because it does allow a degree of proportionality, and there are always people who get elected without necessarily being favoured party hacks.

notes from no w here