174 REPRESENTATION BY THE TRANSFERABLE VOTE. 



times the 15 per cent., we found efifective in Cape Town. In 

 the Senate elections in the Union of South Africa still more 

 satisfactory results were got, 100 per cent., and in a small model 

 election held at Rondebosch, where 50 voters elected three mem- 

 bers from six candidates. 4Q.53 votes were given to the three 

 members out of 50 votes ; 10.53 votes more than the quotas 

 needed for the election of the three members. 



10. These excellent results were obtained by the co-opera- 

 tion of the voters and the returning officer. 



The voter, instead of putting a cross opposite the one 

 candidate's name for whom under the present system he votes. 

 marks in order of his preference 1, 2, 3, 4, or as manv more 

 names as he chooses. This is all the voter does. 



The returning officer examines, and counts all the voting 

 papers. If electing seven members, he divides the number of 

 valid votes by 8, and adds one to the quotient ; this gives him the 

 " quota," or minimum number of votes that ensures election. 

 He then distributes all the valid votes in heaps for each of the 

 candidates marked i upon them, count's these heaps, and puts 

 them in the candidates' boxes. He enters at the top of a tem- 

 porary transfer sheet, in order of their preference, the names 

 ■of all the candidates, and below them the numbers of original, 

 or first-preference votes, they received. This is the first count. 



He then looks for all the votes marked 2 on the voting 

 papers given to the eighth candidate, and distributes them to all 

 the candidates, just as he did on the first count; and he enters 

 their number below^ the others on the temporary transfer sheet, 

 and prefixes the name of the candidate whose votes they are. 

 He does the same with votes for the ninth candidate, and so on 

 to the lowest. He then distributes in like manner any surplus 

 second-preference votes. He now makes sure, that all votes 

 except those of the seven highest candidates on first and second- 

 preference votes are distributed ; and only those. He then adds 

 the combined first and second-preference votes for all the candi- 

 dates : this is the second count. A third and fourth count follow 

 on the same lines if necessary. 



11. To ensure absolute accuracy the returning officer must 

 observe two fundamental rules: — First, to exclude or eliminate 

 no candidate's name on the temporary result sheet till every 

 effective vote is allotted; and second, to use no lower preferences 

 till all the higher ones have been allotted. The regulations 

 followed at present are unsatisfactory in small elections from 

 these two rules not being observed. If they are followed, both 

 surplus votes and unsuccessful candidates' votes are distributed 

 with arithmetical precision, and we get • an absolutely correct 

 method of counting. 



12. Compare these excellent results, obtained by the use of 

 the transferable vote, with the present state of matters. We have 

 glanced at Gwelo. where, as at Umtali, each voter has one vote ; 

 ■ at Bulawayo he has three votes. Not only are there three mem- 



