Home > 3.3 Mixed systems > GEORGIA - Opinion on the amendments to the Organic Law Election Code of Georgia, pertaining to local elections
 
 
 
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Paragraph 32
 

As underscored above, the principle of equal voting weight is one of the key elements that should be ensured by any electoral system. Under the revised provisions, districts with fewer than 4,000 voters shall elect one member, whereas previously the threshold was 7,000; districts comprising between 4,000 and 10,000 voters shall elect two members, in contrast to the previous range of 7,000 to 14,000; and districts with a voter population between 10,000 and 20,000, the representation shall be three members, whereas under the prior framework, this applied to districts exceeding 14,000 voters. Additionally, districts with a voter base of 20,000 to 35,000 shall elect four members, while those exceeding 35,000 voters shall be entitled to five representatives. Past decisions to split the biggest electoral districts into smaller constituencies went in the direction of addressing this problem. However, the distribution as recently amended seems to go in the opposite direction. As it has done previously, the Venice Commission recommends a revision of the electoral system in case it is not possible to ensure the relative equality of vote weight in single-mandate districts.