[EM] Proportional Representation Systems I'd Support

[James Gilmour]

Raph Frank  > Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 10:08 AM
> On Tue, Mar 23, 2010 at 12:08 AM, James Gilmour 
> <jgilmour at globalnet.co.uk> wrote:
> > In the (much) more complicated Swiss system, the "apparentenement" is 
> > determined by each individual voter.
> 
> Do you have a link to the method that they use?  Is it just 
> open party list?

Raph, in a word, no.  I'm afraid you'll have to do your own searching.  You'll probably find the documents are in German, French,
Italian and Romanche, the four official languages of Switzerland.  My info was taken from Enid Lakeman's book, fourth edition 1974:
"How Democracies Vote".  Fortunately for me, that is written in English.

With regard to the "Conseil National" (the lower house of the Swiss Federal Parliament), she says each elector has as many votes are
there are seats to be filled in each "electoral direct" = one Canton or one-half Canton.  In 1967 there were four 1-member electoral
districts and the others returned between 2 and 35 members each (total seats = 200).  Voters may distribute their votes among all
the candidates nominated, freely across party lists, and cumulate two votes, but not more, on any candidate.  The votes in each list
(or combination of allied lists) are totalled and the seats allocated to parties (or combinations of parties) in proportion to those
totals.  The allocated seats are filled by candidates in order of the numbers of votes received.  

There are almost certainly differences from this federal system in the arrangements and counting rules for Cantonal and local
government elections in Switzerland.  Be aware that the PR principle goes beyond the election of the lower house of the federal
Parliament.  The Federal Council is elected by the federal parliament and is chosen to include representatives of all the main
parties and of the different types of cantons.

James

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