[Election-Methods] Best electoral system under real circumstances

[Juho]

I'll compare the Brazilian open list method to a somewhat  
corresponding case, open list based parliamentary election in Finland  
and the plans to improve it.

In Finland the smallest districts have now 6 seats. That is  
considered a problem since having both districts with lots of seats  
(max 32) and small ones means that it does not make sense to vote for  
the smallest parties in the small districts (they may get some seats  
in the 32 seat district but in districts of 6 all seats go to big  
parties (and votes to small parties are in a way lost)).

One of your possible solutions is to reduce the district size.  
Reducing district size would make the system less proportional. Maybe  
the intention is to eliminate some of the smallest parties this way.  
That would work (there are also other ways to go in that direction)  
but I don't know if that is the intention (and if reducing  
proportionality is a target). In Finland the discussion has been  
rather to make all the districts close to same size. The aim is to  
achieve this by combining small districts to bigger ones rather than  
to split big ones to smaller districts (bit more complex than this  
but that's the overall direction).

You mentioned excessive district magnitude and that leading to high  
number of candidates. You mention also the possibility of limiting  
the number of candidates by party. Why is it a problem to have a high  
number of candidates? I assume the method gives each party a  
proportional part of the seats (based on the sum of votes of the  
candidates of the party). In Finland people roughly (in theory) first  
pick their party and then vote someone on that party's list. No  
problem if other parties have an excessive number of candidates. (Do  
you maybe have lots of work and large ballot papers because of the  
numerous candidates. In Finland the ballot is very simple, just a  
small white paper with a circle where you can write the number of  
your candidate.)

Can you explain how the surpluses are transferred. Why unpredictable?  
Is the transfer algorithm somehow not working?

You mentioned STV. That is an option (quite ok) but this method leads  
to a considerably different political system. Is such a system what  
people want in Brazil? The parties may not like this idea since the  
end result may be a "less party based" system, so the battle may be  
an uphill battle (good luck to you though if you want this change).

Closed lists:  Typically gives the power of deciding which  
individuals will be elected from voters to the parties. Is that what  
Brazil wants? (I don't yet.)

Single member:  Does this mean a dual party system based on single  
seat districts? Is that what Brazil wants? (I don't yet.)

MMP:  More complex than open list. What is the rationale? Maybe  
interest to have local single seat districts to elect very local  
(small district) representatives? Is this what Brazil wants? Isn't  
basic (open list based) proportional representation in bigger  
districts enough?

Top-two runoff (for single winner elections):  Yes, in many cases  
good enough but has also some clear problems and can be improved. I  
don't think ranked methods (e.g. Condorcet that is a more "compromise  
candidate oriented" (good or bad) and that is better from strategic  
voting point of view) would be too difficult. At least if the number  
of candidates is not large (7 candidates in the last presidential  
elections according to wiki) then also the ballots can be e.g. some  
simple ticking exercises. (The method should tolerate/allow some  
ticking errors to avoid losing the votes of people who are not that  
familiar with using the method.)

Juho Laatu



On Nov 19, 2007, at 20:50 , Diego Renato wrote:

> I've read in this list that possibly the worst electoral system  
> used is Brazilian open list PR. In this year, Brazilian Congress  
> discuted the change of electoral law to closed lists, single member  
> plurality or MMP.
>
> Presidents, Governors and Mayors are elected by top-two runoff. I  
> think this method is sufficiently good. Maybe ranked methods are  
> not suitable for Brazilian voters' degree of skill, and for voting  
> machines.
>
> Federal, State and Muncipal representatives are elected according  
> open lists. The main problem of this method is the excessive  
> district magnitude (8 in least populated states up to 70 in São  
> Paulo) and resulting high number of candidates. Transfers of  
> surpluses are unpredictable. My suggestions for improvements of  
> this system are:
>
> - reduce district size to 3, 4 or 5;
> - limit number of candidates by party. Candidates should be  
> nominated by primary elections.
> - prohibit surplus transfers among different parties.
> - adoption of STV in the future.
>
> Do you agree with these measures?
>
> _______________________________
> Diego Renato dos Santos
>
> ----
> Election-Methods mailing list - see http://electorama.com/em for  
> list info


		
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