Open-list proportional representation vs. Mixed-member proportional representation

date: "2023-09-21"

categories:

  • "democracy"
  • "electoral-reform"
  • "politics" tags:
  • "fair-democracry"
  • "proportional-representation"

This blog is a continuation of the discussion about proportional representation. You can find the main blog here in the link. Do we need a supreme leader? How can we share power between parties?

Open list PR is about voter choice in selecting individual candidates:

Open list proportional representation is an electoral system used in many countries to elect members to a legislative body. It combines the principles of proportional representation with a degree of voter choice in selecting individual candidates. In an open list PR system, voters typically cast a vote for a political party and can also express a preference for specific candidates within that party's list. Here's how it works:

  1. Voting Process:

  • Party Vote: Voters cast their first vote for a political party of their choice. This is known as the "party vote" or "list vote." It determines the overall proportion of seats each political party will receive in the legislature.

  • Candidate Preference: In addition to the party vote, voters have the option to express a preference for one or more individual candidates from the party they selected. This preference can be indicated by ranking the candidates or marking them with an "X" or a similar symbol.

  1. Seat Allocation:

  • Based on the total number of party votes each political party receives, seats in the legislature are allocated to parties in proportion to their share of the vote, using a mathematical formula such as the Sainte-Laguë method or the D'Hondt method.

  • Each party's list of candidates is ordered based on a predetermined ranking established by the party or determined through internal party primaries.

  • Seats are initially awarded to the candidates at the top of each party's list, in proportion to the party's share of the vote.

  1. Candidate Selection:

  • Candidates who receive a high number of individual preferences from voters are more likely to move up the party's list and secure seats in the legislature.

  • In some open list systems, candidates are elected in the order of the preference votes they receive. The candidates with the most individual preferences are elected first, followed by those with fewer preferences until all the party's allocated seats are filled.

  1. Proportionality: Open list PR aims to maintain proportionality between the party's overall vote share and the distribution of seats among its candidates. This means that if a party receives, for example, 30% of the vote, approximately 30% of the seats it wins should go to the candidates who received the most preference votes.

  2. Flexibility and Voter Choice:

  • Open list PR systems offer voters more flexibility and choice compared to closed list PR systems. Voters can influence the order in which candidates from the same party are elected.

  • Voters may choose candidates based on personal attributes, local connections, or specific policy positions.

Open list proportional representation systems provide a balance between party representation and individual candidate representation. They aim to combine the benefits of proportional representation, which ensures that parties are represented in proportion to their popular vote, with the ability for voters to have a say in the selection of individual representatives within parties. This system is used in countries such as Sweden, Finland, and Norway.

Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) is a system that retains the constituency element:

Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) representation is an electoral system used in some countries to elect their legislatures, such as Germany, New Zealand, and parts of Scotland. MMP combines elements of both proportional representation and first-past-the-post systems to achieve a more balanced and representative outcome.

Here's how it works:

  1. Two Types of Representatives: In MMP, voters cast two votes: one for a candidate in their local constituency (similar to first-past-the-post) and one for a political party.

  2. Constituency Seats: The local constituency vote determines a portion of the seats in the legislature. Candidates who win the most votes in their respective constituencies become Members of Parliament (MPs).

  3. Proportional Representation: The party vote determines the overall proportional makeup of the legislature. Parties receive seats in proportion to the percentage of the party vote they receive nationwide. This helps ensure that the overall composition of the legislature reflects the popular vote.

  4. Compensation Seat: To balance the results, additional seats are allocated to parties based on their share of the party vote. These are known as "compensation seats" and are filled from party lists. The goal is to make the total number of seats each party holds closely match its proportion of the vote.

  5. Overall Composition: The final composition of the legislature is a combination of local constituency winners and proportional seats from party lists. This ensures that both individual representation and overall proportionality are considered.

MMP aims to strike a balance between geographic representation (via local MPs) and proportional representation (to reflect the popular vote more accurately). It encourages multi-party systems, as smaller parties have a better chance of winning proportional seats, leading to a more diverse and representative legislature.

However, it can be complex for voters to understand and may lead to coalition governments since it often results in a multi-party system where no single party has an outright majority. This requires parties to work together to form governing coalitions, which can sometimes be challenging.

Example Scenario: New Zealand's MMP System

In New Zealand, the MMP system has been in use since 1996. Let's say there's an election with the following details:

  1. Total Seats in Parliament: 120 seats

  2. Constituency Seats: There are 70 local constituencies across the country, each electing one MP through a first-past-the-post system. These are known as "electorate seats."

  3. Party List Seats: The remaining 50 seats are filled based on the party vote, which is a vote for political parties rather than individual candidates. Parties create ranked lists of candidates, and these seats are allocated to parties based on the proportion of the party vote they receive.

  4. Party A: Let's say Party A receives 40% of the party vote. In this case, they would be entitled to approximately 40% of the 50 party list seats, which is 20 seats. Party A's total representation in Parliament would then be the 20 party list seats plus any constituency seats they won.

  5. Party B: Party B, with 30% of the party vote, gets around 15 party list seats.

  6. Party C: Party C receives 20% of the party vote, which corresponds to 10 party list seats.

  7. Party D: Party D secures 10% of the party vote, resulting in about 5 party list seats.

  8. Constituency Winners: In the local constituencies, the party that wins the most votes in each of the 70 constituencies gets one seat per constituency, regardless of their party vote share.

Now, let's see how this plays out:

  • Party A wins 30 constituency seats, and Party B wins 25. So, Party A and Party B each have their constituency seats plus the proportional seats they earned.

  • Party A ends up with a total of 50 seats (30 constituency seats + 20 party list seats).

  • Party B ends up with a total of 40 seats (25 constituency seats + 15 party list seats).

  • Party C, with 10 party list seats and no constituency seats, has a total of 10 seats.

  • Party D, with 5 party list seats and no constituency seats, has a total of 5 seats.

This proportional representation system ensures that the overall composition of Parliament roughly reflects the percentage of the party vote each party received. It encourages a multi-party system and provides a more balanced representation of the electorate's preferences compared to a purely first-past-the-post system.

Please note that the numbers in this example are simplified for illustration purposes and may not precisely match New Zealand's actual election results.

While some countries use FPTP in mixed member proportional systems to select a single winner in a constituency, one can employ Approval voting as a more optimal voting method to mitigate vote splitting and tactical voting. One can also use proportional representation (number of votes = amount of power) to select multiple winners in a constituency, to make more decentralized decision making.

Closed-List Proportional Representation

In a closed-list proportional representation system, voters cast their votes for a political party, and seats are allocated to parties based on the proportion of the overall vote they receive. The order of candidates on the party's list determines who gets elected. Voters typically do not have the option to choose individual candidates; rather, they are essentially endorsing the party's list.

Now, let's address the concerns you mentioned about the closed-list method:

Lack of Individual Candidate Choice:

In a closed-list system, voters may not have the ability to express preferences for specific candidates. Some argue that this reduces the direct influence of voters on the selection of representatives.

Increase in Partisanship:

Closed-list systems may be criticized for promoting party loyalty over individual candidate qualities. This could potentially lead to a more partisan political landscape, as representatives are primarily accountable to the party leadership rather than the voters.

Rise of Far-Right Parties:

As partisanship escalates, far-right parties can ascend to prominence by strategically employing propaganda, disseminating disinformation, and skillfully appealing to sentiments.