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BBC
News
November 27, 2003
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/3243636.stm
NI:
making sense of the maths
As the count is underway BBC Parliament considers the electoral system
for the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The Good Friday Agreement of 1998 determined
that elections to the 108 seat assembly should be by the Single Transferable
Vote (STV) system.
This form of proportional representation (PR)
was deemed most suitable for reflecting the voting preferences of diverse
constituencies choosing from a variety of parties.
The STV system requires electors to vote for at
least one candidate and then express preference for as many others as they wish.
Pick a number
The relative importance of the selections is
reflected by a number written next to the candidate's name on the ballot paper -
the first choice numbered '1' and so on.
Election depends on candidates receiving a
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LATEST RESULTS 2003
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PARTY
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+/-
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TOT
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DUP
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10
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30
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SF
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6
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24
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UUP
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-1
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27
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SDLP
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-6
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18
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AP
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0
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6
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PUP
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-1
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1
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NIWC
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-2
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0
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UKUP
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-4
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1
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UUC
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0
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0
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NIUP
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0
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0
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Others
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+1
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1
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After 108 of 108 seats declared
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minimum number of votes - a quota - determined by
turnout and number of seats in a constituency.
The formula - or 'Droop quota' - used to work
out who wins a seat is to divide the total number of valid voting papers cast by
the number of seats to be filled plus one.
When the quota has been calculated the first
preference votes are counted and anyone getting over the quota is elected.
Stage two: the surplus
In stage two, the surplus votes - the number of
votes over the quota - of the leading candidate are transferred among the other
candidates.
Each surplus vote is valued by dividing the
surplus by the total number of votes received by the leading candidate.
The second preferences on the ballot papers of
those electing the leading choice is then considered.
The number of votes for the second preference is
multiplied by the value of the surplus and this figure is added to the number of
first preference votes gained by the - in this case - second preference
candidate.
If this second candidate then achieves over the
quota, the person is elected.
Protracted process
If no-one is elected in stage two, the bottom
candidate is eliminated and his votes are re-distributed according to the other
preferences.
A large number of candidates and - or - an
evenly spread pattern of voting can make the STV process very protracted.
For example the Stangford constituency went
through 18 stages to elect six out of the total 22 candidates in the Northern
Ireland Assembly elections of June 1998.
Executive choice
When the members of the assembly have been
chosen there is then the even more troublesome question of selecting members of
the executive.
The Good Friday Agreement stipulated ministerial
portfolios should be allocated according to the d'Hondt system.
However Sinn Fein and the DUP have yet to settle
on a satisfactory power-sharing agreement for the executive in Stormont.
If the DUP manage to control the majority of
unionists they will demand a replacement of the Good Friday Agreement.
Barring recounts the final result is expected on
Friday afternoon.
BBC Parliament will be broadcasting the
Northern Ireland election's results programme from 1100 to 1300 GMT on Friday 28
November
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