STV
STV is an electoral system designed from the voter's point of view.It provides proportionality while maximising voter choice and effectiveness.
Thus the idea is
• proportionality: votes are matched with candidates so that each person elected represents the same number of voters
The method involves
• transfers: the surplus of candidates who have more votes than they need, and all the votes of any candidates who are excluded, are transferred to other candidates
• preference voting: so that any transfers can follow the voter’s preferences.
This provides voter choice: you vote for individual candidates, not just parties, and can express your order of preference for all candidates, rather than being limited to just a first choice. And it provides effectiveness by minimizing wasted votes and tactical voting. You can vote for a minority candidate who is your real first preference safe in the knowledge that if they are excluded your vote will be passed on to your next choice. While if your first preference has too many votes, part of your vote will be passed on to your next choice.
Denis Mollison
updated 21st March 2022
Data from STV elections
Some data sets for which full preferential voting data are available:
Scottish Council Elections 2017
Designs for democracy
Some papers on implementing STV, and on electoral reform in general:
Community-centred democracy: fine-tuning the STV Council
election system
