Proportional representation

How e dey work, well well

For each list, calculate di series votes/1, votes/2, votes/3… Di seats go to di biggest quotients across all lists, until dem finish.

Dis highest-average rule dey favour big lists small, systematically and everybody sabi: na political choice for governability, no be calculation accident.

Threshold (5 % for Germany, 3 % for French European elections) dey remove very small lists before sharing, to avoid scatter-scatter.

Example wey get figures

Hundred votes, five seats to share between three lists with D'Hondt.

List	Votes	÷1	÷2	÷3
A	45	45	22.5	15
B	35	35	17.5	11.7
C	20	20	10	6.7

Di five biggest quotients across all lists: 45 (A), 35 (B), 22.5 (A), 20 (C), 17.5 (B).
Final sharing: A 2 seats, B 2 seats, C 1 seat.
A get 40 % of di seats with 45 % of di votes; C get 20 % of di seats with 20 % of di votes.

With small number of seats, proportionality must be rough — na di number of seats, pass di formula, dey decide how fine di representation fit be.

Where e come from

Di Belgian jurist Victor d'Hondt publish im method for 1878; for 1899 Belgium become di first country to use am for national elections. Dem don already sabi di formula: Thomas Jefferson propose am for 1792 to share House seats among di American states.

Rival variants dey since dat time: Sainte-Laguë (1910), same as di Webster method of 1832, dey treat small parties better and e still be di reference for Scandinavia and New Zealand.

Di largest-remainder method, wey dem call Hamilton own, dem drop am for United States after di Alabama paradox: for 1880 dem see say to raise di total seats from 299 to 300 MAKE Alabama lose one seat. United States dey use di Huntington-Hill method since 1941.

Where dem dey use am

Parliament elections for most European democracies.
European elections, and French regional elections for di proportional part.
To compose board of directors or association committee.
To share budget or slots between groups, according to support.

Limits and wahala

✓ GOOD SIDE

E reflect opinion well well
E give minority space
Small vote dey waste

✕ BAD SIDE

No clear single winner
E fit force coalition
Di threshold go comot di smallest

Dis one no be decision

Proportional dey compose assembly. To settle question, you still need vote after — di tool no dey replace di decision.

Bonus for big lists

D'Hondt dey round in favour of di biggest, always. Sainte-Laguë dey more neutral, if na dat you want.

Thresholds and scatter

Without threshold, di assembly no go fit govern; with threshold, some votes no dey represented at all.

Sharing paradoxes

Di Alabama paradox show say no sharing method dey free from strange behaviour.

Questions wey people dey ask

D'Hondt or Sainte-Laguë?

D'Hondt (divide by 1, 2, 3…) dey favour big lists small and dey make majority easy. Sainte-Laguë (by 1, 3, 5…) dey more faithful to small ones. Di choice na political and you must make am before di vote, never after.

Why my seat percentages no match di votes?

Because you no fit cut seat into two. With five seats, di smallest step na 20 %: no formula fit do better. Di gap dey close as di number of seats dey grow.

I fit use am for small group?

Yes, to share resources — slots, budget, places. To choose between options, use approval or Condorcet instead.