Home > 1.2.3 Equality and national minorities > REPORT ON CONSTITUENCY DELINEATION AND SEAT ALLOCATION
 
 
 
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Most countries address the issue at legislative level. For example, Azerbaijan allows a 10% departure from the norm in distant or impassable places and no more than 5% everywhere else. Croatia allows a 5% difference between the numbers of voters in each constituency. The Czech Republic uses a norm of 15% for the constituencies for the Senate. Hungary allows 15-20% departure from the norm. This deviation is only permissible in consideration of geographical, ethnic, historical, religious and other local characteristics and for any migration of the population. Ireland legislates for the number of members of Dail Eireann and the ratio thus achieved (which must be one member to between 20,000 and 30,000 of the population) is applied as equally as is practicable across the state. Lithuania allows a deviation of 20%. The law states that the number of voters in constituencies must be from 0.8 to 1.2 of the average number of voters in all single-member constituencies. In Russia, a departure of between 10 and 15% is allowed for the single-member constituencies, where 10% is the main norm and 15% is only allowed in difficult or remote areas. The list of these difficult or remote areas is established by law. The Macedonian legislation allows a departure between – 5% and + 5% in any constituency compared to the average number of voters in a constituency. Ukraine allows a departure of 12%. In the United Kingdom the typical size of constituencies differs among the parts of the country. The Office for National Statistics puts the median total parliamentary electorate across constituencies of about 72.400 in England, 69.000 in Scotland, 66.800 in Northern Ireland and 56.800 in Wales.