Open and Closed Lists (was ...STV for Candidate...)

[Olli Salmi]

>What percentage of the votes get wasted using the various Open and Closed
>Lists ???

If you vote for a party that wins no seats, your vote is wasted. This
depends on the number of seats to be filled and on the threshold, if there
is one. With open lists, your vote is counted for the party if your
candidate is not elected, so if the party wins seats your vote is not
totally wasted.

Small parties are often thought to be dangerous and many countries have
thresholds to prevent them from gaining seats.

>With proxy p.r. there might be zero wasted votes.

I can understand this only if you vote for parties you don't like. It ought
to be possible with STV and the Hare quota if you have to indicate all
possible preferences.

Olli Salmi