[EM] Proportional means equal portions of the whole.

[Donald E Davison]

Greetings,

     Proportional means equal portions of the whole.
     One truism of Proportional Representation is that members are to be
elected by equal portions of total votes.
     Which means that when we reduce the candidates down to the elected
members, their vote sums are to be near equal portions of the total votes,
and the number of portions are to be equal to the number of seats.
     No one has the right to suggest that members be elected by a number of
votes less than an equal portion of total votes.
     Part, share, and quota are other words that may be used in place of
portion. Quota is the word we use when we are discussing proportional
election methods. The word `quota' implies `No less than this amount'.
(Quota: the share or proportion assigned to each in a division or to each
member of a body) The word `assigned' implies: no less - no more. This is
the intent of the Hare method, that members would be elected by the full
Hare quota, or at least a near quota.
     Quota is the proper word to use in regard to a proportional election
method. In order for the method to be proportional it needs the quota to be
filled. Anything that would cause the quotas to be less filled is something
that is making the method less proportional. Exhausted votes and/or Droop
quota and/or groups acting to lower the votes on their candidates, are all
things that make the method less proportional.
     Transferring exhausted ballots to the remaining candidates is a
corrupt way of trying to fill up the quotas, it should not be done.

     The vote sums of the elected members in a Hare STV election will be
`equal parts of the whole' or at least near equal parts, provide we do not
have too many exhausted ballots and/or groups do not lower the number of
votes.
     The vote sums of the elected members in a Droop STV election cannot be
equal parts of the whole. Droop has this residue of an extra quota of votes
- an extra part. There can be no equal parts of the whole if the whole is
divided by a number that contains an extra part.
   The reason is math.
   Mathematically, the addition of the extra part is not proportional.
   The addition of the extra part is political.
   Droop supporters are mixing math and politics.
   Math is math and the residue of an extra quota is an embarrassment.

     In order to give you some comparison of proportionality, consider
three election methods.
     A Hare STV election can give us near 100 % proportionality.
     A Plurality-At-Large election can give us near 50 % proportionality.
     The proportionality of a Droop STV election will depend on the number
of seats, the more seats, the higher the level of proportionality. For
example: a Three seat district Droop STV election can give us a near 75 %
proportionality, better than Plurality-At-Large, but not as good as Hare
STV.
     A nine seat Droop STV election can give us near 90 % proportionality,
so if you must have the Droop quota, then use it with a high number of
seats per district.
     Meek STV using hare Quota at the start of the count is the best STV.
It will give us 100 % proportionality, but it needs computers. Now, it is
true that goroups may still attempt to lower the number of votes they place
on their candidates, but they cannot stop the addition of transfer votes
from increasing the numbers towards the Hare Quota.
     This is the best that can be done with STV. To get something better we
need to go to some type of Method that will balance up the proportionality.
The flaw of MMP can be solved by using only one vote per person instead of
two, but that is another discussion.

     The last word on the proportionality of STV: Anyone who supports
actions to lower the proportionality of STV cannot honestly claim to
support proportional representation.

Regards,
Donald


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   |                         Q U O T A T I O N                         |
   |  "Democracy is a beautiful thing,                                 |
   |       except that part about letting just any old yokel vote."    |
   |                            - Age 10                               |
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