[EM] Kansas City Charter and Choice Voting:

[LAYTON Craig]

Donald wrote:

>     I agree with your suggestion of an even number in the district.
>     The election may be nonpartisan, but the voters and the candidates
>will still line up according to the two major parties.  An even number of
>members in a district will allow them both to have a more just
>proportionality.

This isn't exactly right.  It's true that each electorate will be more
proportional, but the body or legislature that is elected will be less
proportional.  You're talking about district STV with 4 candidates per
district.  Dem & GOP will almost certainly get two seats each.  In order for
one Party to get three seats, they would need 63% of the two party preferred
vote - almost impossible.

So, which party runs the legislature/council will be determined by one or
two districts where there is a strong third party candidate or independent,
or districts with an extremely strong concentration of particular party
supporters.  Or, it's quite possible that the legislature will be exactly
evenly split (even with third party candidates; a left leaning third party
candidate that costs the Democrats a seat, would also be more likely to vote
with the Democrats in the legislature).

I won't bother devising an example, but odd numbers of candidates
(preferably at least 5) actually make the legislature more proportional in a
two party system, and tend to give the party that actually got the most
votes the most seats.  Even numbers of candidates will not do this.