Examples of past or present electoral systems

ESTONIA (Electoral Act of 7 June 1994, last amended: December 1994)

Chamber (monocameral system): Riigikogu
Number of seats: 101 seats
Constituencies: 11 multi-member constituencies
(8 to 11 deputies per constituency)
Guiding Principle: Proportional and proportional by compensation
Distribution of seats: Triple proportional allocation of seats using the Hare quota in each of the 11 multi-member constituencies. The seats remaining to be allocated (“compensatory” seats) are distributed at national level between the parties and coalitions which obtained over 5% of the votes cast.

FRANCE (1951 Electoral Act, in force for the 1951 and 1956 elections)
Lower Chamber: Assemblée nationale
Deputies of metropolitan France
Constituencies: Each département constitutes a constituency with the exception of the départements of Bouches-du-Rhône, Pas-de-Calais, Rhône, Seine, Seine-et-Oise, Seine Inférieure and Gironde, which are divided into several constituencies
Guiding Principle: Hybrid: use of the majority system for candidates or lists that have attained a majority and distribution of the remaining seats on the basis of proportional representation
Manner of voting: Single-round list-based ballot with “apparentement” of lists, panachage and preferential votes
Counting of votes and distribution of seats: - “apparentements” authorised at constituency level between lists of national parties and groupings or between lists composed solely of candidates belonging to national parties or groupings provided this “apparentement” is accepted by all candidates subject thereto.
- The list or the group of linked lists which obtains the absolute majority obtains all the seats. Seats are distributed between linked lists according to the rule of the highest average, account being taken of preferential votes and panachage. If no list satisfies these conditions, the seats are distributed on the basis of proportional representation in accordance with the rule of the highest average (largest remainders in Seine and Seine-et-Oise). Distribution within lists is carried out on the basis of the highest average. No seat is awarded to lists obtaining less than 5% of the votes cast.

FRANCE (1985 Electoral Act)

Election: Municipal elections
Constituencies: Municipalities with more than 3,500 inhabitants (except Paris, Lyon, Marseille)
Guiding principle: Hybrid, the ultimate aim being to archieve a majority
Manner of voting: Two-round ballot. Closed lists. Only lists which obtained 10% of the votes cast may go through to the second round. Lists obtaining 5% may merge and can go through to the second round.
Distribution of seats: Bonus equivalent to half the seats for the leading list in the conclusive round. The remaining seats are distributed on the basis of proportional representation between lists which obtained 5% of the votes cast including the leading list.

GERMANY (1993 Electoral Act)
Lower Chamber: Bundestag
Number of seats: 656 members (500 as from 2002)
Constituency: 328 constituencies + 1 subdivided national constituency (the Länder)
Manner of voting: Each elector has two votes
- one vote for the single-member one-round ballot
- one vote for a list under a proportional representation system
Distribution of seats - 328 members designated by the single-member one-round ballotby the first vote
- 328 seats allocated by proportional representation at national level. In order to participate in the distribution of seats, a list must obtain 5% of the votes cast or have obtained 3 seats in the single-member ballot. This threshold does not apply to parties representing national minorities. The seats are then distributed between the Länder in proportion to the votes obtained in the Länder themselves. The number of seats obtained on the basis of the first vote is subtracted from the total number of those seats. If a party obtains more seats in the single-member ballot than it is allowed according to the proportional representation vote, it keeps those seats.

IRELAND (Electoral Act of 5 November 1992, last amendment: March 1998)
Lower Chamber: Dáil Eireann - House of Representatives
Number of seats: 166 seats
Constituencies: 42 multi-member constituencies (3 to 5 seats).
Guiding principle: Proportional representation
Manner of voting: Single transferable vote
Distribution of seats: Included in the single transferable vote

ITALY (Electoral Act of 6 February 1948, last amendment: August 1993)
Upper Chamber: Senato della Repubblica
Number of seats: 315 seats
Constituencies: - 232 single-member constituencies
- 20 multi-member constituencies
Guiding principle: Hybrid combining a single-member ballot and proportional representation by a system of offsetting
Method of voting: - plurality vote in the 232 single-member constituencies
- distribution of the 83 remaining seats by proportional representation on the basis of regional results and in accordance with the d’Hondt method. These are “compensatory” seats and accordingly, before a distribution on the basis of proportional representation is carried out, the votes given to the candidates elected are subtracted from the total votes for the list to which they belong.

ITALY (Electoral Act of 6 February 1948, last amendment: 4 August 1993)
Lower Chamber: Camera dei deputati
Number of seats: 630 seats
Constituencies: - 475 single-member constituencies
- 155 seats elected by proportional representation in 26 constituencies
Guiding principle: Hybrid combining a single-member ballot and proportional representation by a system of offsetting
Method of voting: Each elector has two votes
Distribution of seats: - First-past-the-post in the single-member constituencies, with candidates belonging to lists
- The lists have to pay a “levy” (scorporo) for each candidate in the quota elected under the first-past-the-post system. Distribution takes place at national level on the basis of the total obtained in the constituency. Initially, only lists which which obtained 4% of the votes cast take part in this stage. The 155 seats are allocated among the lists by means of the method of whole quotas and larges remainders. Distribution at the level of the lists must fulfil two conditions. Firstly, each list is allocated seats in the constituencies where, proportionally, it gained the highest number of votes. Then, the total number of deputies elected in a constituency (the sum for all lists) may not exceed the number of seats allocated to that constituency for the proportional part of the vote.

JAPAN (Electoral Act of 1 January 1900, last amendment: May 1998)
Upper Chamber: Sangiin
Constituencies: - 47 multi-member constituencies, metropolitan or prefectoral
- One national constituency for the remainder of the seats
Guiding principle: Hybrid: first-past-the-post for a predetermined number of seats and proportional representation for the remainder.
Method of voting: - 146 representatives elected by first-past-the post in geographical constituencies. Candidates obtaining a number of votes equal to or greater than one-sixth of the electoral quota (total number of votes divided by the number of seats to be filled in the constituency) are declared elected in an order reflecting the amount of valid votes received.
- 96 representatives elected at national level by a proportional list system in accordance with the d’Hondt method.

LITHUANIA (Electoral Act of 9 July 1992, last amendment: April 2003)
Chamber (monocameral system): Seimas
Number of seats: 141 seats
Constituencies: - 71 single-member constituencies
- 1 multi-member constituency (70 seats)
Guiding Principle: Hybrid: parallel application of first-past-the-post (in single-member constituencies) and proportional (in one multi-member constituency) systems.
Distribution of seats: - first-past-the-post system in 71 single-member constituencies. A candidate shall be considered elected when that candidate receives the majority of the votes cast. A turn-out of 40% is required for the election to be valid.
- proportional voting for one nation-wide multi-member constituency. The list of candidates of the party may receive mandates only if not less than 5% of the voters participating in the elections voted for it. The threshold for joint lists of candidates is 7%. If less than 60% of the voters have voted for the lists that have received more than 5% of the votes cast, the lists that have not taken part in the distribution up till then may acquire the right to take part in the distribution of mandates. The lists that have not taken part in the distribution are added one at a time, starting with the one that received the highest percentage of votes cast until the lists taking part in the distribution of mandates make up a total of at least 60% of the votes cast. The distribution of mandates is done on the basis of Hare’s quota. The mandates still to be distributed after the first distribution are distributed according to the highest remainders. A 25% turn-out is required for the election to be valid.

LUXEMBOURG (Electoral Act of 31 July 1924, last amendment: February 2003)
Chamber (monocameral system): Chambre des Députés
Number of seats: 60 seats
Constituencies: 4 electoral constituencies: South (23 deputies), Centre (21 deputies), North (9 deputies) and East (7 deputies)
Guiding principle: Proportional representation
Method of voting: Preferential vote or panachage
Distribution of seats: Hagenbach-Bishoff method
Remaining seats distributed in accordance with the highest average

MALTA (Electoral Act of 27 September 1991, last amended 2002)
Chamber (monocameral system): Il-Kamra Tad-Deputati
Number of seats: 65 seats
Constituencies: 13 multi-member constituencies (5 seats per constituency)
Distribution of seats: Application of the single transferable vote, the quotient used is the Hagenbach-Bischoff quotient. If a party obtains the majority of first preferences, it is granted a “bonus” supplement of seats if needed, to ensure that it has a majority in the Chamber.

NETHERLANDS (Electoral Act of 28 September 1989)
Lower Chamber: Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal
Number of seats: 150 seats
Constituencies: 18 subdivided constituencies
Guiding principle: Full proportional representation
Method of voting: Preferential vote
Distribution of seats: The seats are distributed at national level in accordance with thed’Hondt method. A threshold of 0.67% of the votes cast at national level is required in order to take part in the distribution.

NORWAY (Electoral Act of 7 September 1984)
Chamber (monocameral system): Stortinget
Constituencies: 19 multi-member electoral constituencies (from 4 to 15
deputies) corresponding to the 19 provinces
Guiding principle: Proportional representation
Method of voting: Lists
Distribution of seats: Modified Saint-Laguë method.

POLAND (Electoral Act of 12 April 2001)
Lower Chamber: Sejm
Number of seats: 460 seats
Constituencies: 41 provincial multi-member constituencies (between 7 and 19 seats per constituency)
Guiding Principle: Proportional
Distribution of seats: - 391 deputies are elected from local lists in multiple-seat constituencies. Seats are divided between the parties using the d’Hondt method and then allocated to the candidates who individually obtained the highest number of votes. In order to be eligible for seat allocation, a party must obtain 5% of votes cast at national level and a coalition 8% of votes. These thresholds do not apply to the national minority lists.
- 69 deputies are elected from national lists. Seats are divided between the lists using the d’Hondt method and then allocated in the order in which the candidates appear on those lists. Seats are allocated only to those parties and coalitions which obtained 7% of votes cast at national level.

SPAIN (1985 Electoral Act, last amendment: March 1995)
Lower Chamber: Congreso de los Diputados
Constituencies: - 50 multi-member constituencies (2 seats at least per province, the remainder being distributed on the basis of population size) corresponding to the provinces
- 2 single-member constituencies (the North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla)
Guiding principle: Proportional, except for the constituencies of Ceuta and Melilla where the first-past-the-post principle is applied. However, the small number of seats per constituency does not allow the guiding principle to come fully into play. The voting method is closer de facto to the first-past-the-post method.
Manner of voting: Closed lists or single candidate depending on the constituency
Distribution of seats: - multi-member constituencies: closed lists with seats being distributed proportionately in accordance with the d’Hondt method; each elector chooses a list from among those made available in the constituency (province)
- single-member constituencies: plurality system.

SWEDEN (Electoral Act of 1 June 1997)
Chamber (monocameral system): Riksdagen
Constituencies: - 29 multi-member constituencies (2 to 34 seats) for 310 members
- 1 other multi-member constituency for 39 compensatory  seats
Guiding principle: Hybrid: offsetting system
Method of voting: List system with preferential votes
Distribution of seats: - proportional distribution in accordance with the modified Sainte- Laguë method in the 29 multi-member constituencies. In order to obtain a seat, a party has to obtain either at least 4% of the votes cast at national level or 12% of the votes cast in a basic constituency.
- the 39 remaining (“compensatory”) seats are awarded by full proportional representation on the basis of the votes obtained at national level. Nevertheless, the seats are distributed between the constituencies. Parties which obtain seats only by virtue of the rule of 12% of the votes cast in a basic constituency are disqualified from taking part in this distribution. The minimum required to be elected on the basis of the preferential vote is 8% of the total votes cast for the candidate’s party in the constituency concerned.

UKRAINE (Electoral Act of 22 October 1997)
Chamber (monocameral system): Verkhovna Rada
Number of seats: 450 seats
Constituencies: - 225 multi-member constituencies
- 1 national constituency governed by the proportional system (225 seats)
Guiding Principle: Hybrid: parallel application of first-past-the-post andproportional systems
Method of voting: closed lists for election by proportional representation
Distribution of seats: - single-round first-past-the-post ballot in the 225 multimember constituencies
- proportional ballot of lists for the other 225 seats. Seats are allocated only to those parties and coalitions exceeding the threshold of 4% of votes cast.