[EM] Question on RCV/IRV multi-seat method used in Minneapolis

[Raph Frank]

On 9/23/08, Kathy Dopp <kathy.dopp at gmail.com> wrote:
> Does anyone know of another election scheme that allows for the split
>  of a vote into fractions?  Do other jurisdictions with IRV use
>  fractions to transfer surplus votes over a threshold amount, other
>  than Minneapolis?
>

I am not sure exactly what you are asking here, all STV systems have
some way of fractionally transfering the surplus.

In Ireland, for the Dail, the votes to transfer is determined randomly.

However, it is based on the next choice on each ballot.

So, assume a candidate obtained 11,000 votes and there was a quota of 10,000.

The ballots would then be divided into piles based on the next choice.
 It might work out as

Pile A) 1230
Pile B) 6120
Pile C) 2650

Surplus 1000

Randomly, 123 ballots would be picked from pile A, 612 from pile B and
265 from pile C.

This means that even though they are random, the first transfer is
accurate to a single ballot.

- Re-reading your original post, I think the Seanad rules in Ireland
might be what you are looking for.

Each voter effectively casts 1000 votes.  This allows fractional
transfers accurate to 1/1000th of a vote.