METHODS FOR COUNTINO IN I'.LECTIONS. 66/ 



by John IT. Humphreys : Methuen ; crown 8vo., price 3s. 6d. 

 net). 



If 1. 000 voters are electing four members from five candi- 

 dates, the election is over without any member getting Hare's 

 ([uota, if they receive respectively: 



239, 230, 220, 210, loi votes = 1. 000; or 

 239, 230, 220, 156, 155 = 1,000. 

 The election is over as soon as the fourth member gets one more 

 than all the outstanding votes. 



Hence, in any accurate system of counting in elections with 

 the transferable vote, we must have the means of seeing at what 

 grade of vote the election can be finished; for, as mentioned 

 before, no lower grade of choice than that at which the election 

 can be finished in accordance with the voters' wishes ought to 

 be used. The rules for the election of the Senate give no 

 information on this point, and in every election under them 

 choices lower than ought to be used are made efifective, and 

 sometimes elect a member. In three elections in South Africa 

 by the transferable vote, an examination of the votes used shows 

 that one of the candidates not elected was more preferred by 

 the voters than one of the members w-ho were elected bv the 

 present rules on lower choice votes than those on which the 

 election could be finished if Hare's quota was used. 



14. Requisites fur a Correct System of Counting. — Bearing 

 in mind the previous facts, we can now lay down the lines on 

 which a correct system of counting in elections by the transferable 

 vote nuist be conducted, if we wish to secure Proportional Repre- 

 sentation. 



At the first count we must have the simultaneous examina- 

 tion of all first choices on all ballot papers — exactly as in all 

 other elections, whether by " the relative majority," " the abso- 

 lute majority," the Senate rules, or any others. All members 



N 

 who get Hare's quota — , or a surplus, are finally elected. These 



n 

 first choices, or the share of them necessary to give the surplus- 

 holder Hare's quota, have secured their share of representation ; 

 and no subsequent operations can in any way affect them. They 

 comprise the largest possible number of first-choice votes that 

 can be used. 



At the second count, every available second choice must be 

 simultaneously examined and distributed to the elected members, 

 the continuing members, and the unsuccessful candidates, marked 

 second on the ballot papers just as was done at the first count. 

 The distribution of all these second choices, and of all succeeding 

 lower choices, must be entered on the transfer sheet. 



The available second choice votes are the unused fractional 

 portions of all first choice surplus votes, and the whole choices 

 on the ballot papers received by the candidates unsuccessful at 

 the first count. 



