STV-MD PR

Steve Eppley seppley at alumni.caltech.edu
Mon Aug 12 12:26:09 PDT 1996


Marcus G wrote:
Steve E wrote:
-snip-
>> Or should each district's apportionment depend on the number of
>> voters who turn out?
-snip-
>
>This is an interesting suggestion.  I am not sure how it would work
>exactly.  I need to spend some more time pondering it.  Being an
>Australian I don't think much about turnout - again unnecessary
>compulsion in the Australian electoral system - vote or be fined!

Even in Australia, there's a disconnect between population and
voters: children can't vote.  Should citizens who can't vote (or
don't vote, as in the U.S.) affect the proportionality?  Should 
seat allocation depend on total population, voting age population,
eligible voters, registered voters, turnout, etc.?

In pure at-large (districtless) PR, turnout is what matters.  In
existing U.S. districts, total population (though I'm not sure if
noncitizens are counted) is what matters.  There are many options
when districted PR is used. 

---Steve     (Steve Eppley    seppley at alumni.caltech.edu)



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