An electoral quota or electoral number is a divisor which helps determine the number of seats to be allocated to each of the lists. During this first stage of the distribution, a list therefore obtains a number of seats (S) equal to the quota – rounded up to the next whole number – of the total number of votes obtained by the list (V) divided by the number of votes needed in order to obtain a seat (the electoral quota, EQ).

S=V/EQ