[EM] Olli - Your Truncation error in STV:

[James Gilmour]

Olli wrote
> <CUT> The ERS rules would transfer 1513870 x 0.65=984015.5 
> votes.

Correct (although it would be stated as "984015.50").

> It's the same with Northern Ireland rules, but they only 
> transfer whole votes. 

I do not think the second part of this statement is correct.

Statutory Instrument 1985 No 454 "The Local Elections (Northern Ireland) Order 1985" Rule 49
"Transfer of votes" Paragraph (4) states:
"The vote on each ballot paper transferred under paragraph (3) shall be at a value ("the transfer
value") which -
(a) reduces the value of each vote transferred so that the total value of all such votes does not
exceed the surplus, and
(b) is calculated by dividing the surplus of the candidate from whom the votes are being transferred
by the total number of ballot paper on which those votes are given, the calculation being made to
two decimal places (ignoring the remainder if any)."

Leaving aside a possible confusion between 'the value of a vote' and 'the value of a ballot paper',
I read this to mean that transfers are made with values calculated to two decimal places, not with
only whole votes.  Certainly all the official results sheets show transfers with two places of
decimals.

James