504 proceedings of section g. 



Specimen Election. 



In order to illustrate the principles underlying the scheme, we 

 will see how the last elections in Tasmania (House of Represen- 

 tatives, 1910) would have gine if conducted under the system. 

 The whole of Tasmania would have formed one electorate re- 

 turning five members, and the following were the contesting can- 

 didates : — For Labour, Messrs. O'Malley, Laird-Smith, Jensen, 

 Shoobridge, and Wilson. For the Liberals, Messrs. Storrer, Fisher, 

 Simmons, Atkinson, and McWilliams. The ballot-paper would be 

 drawn up in the following form: — 



Labour. Liberal. 



Jensen. Atkinson. 



Laird-Smith. Fisher. 



O'Malley. McWilliams. 



Shoobridge. Simmons. 



Wilson. Storrer. 



After the " party " votes were cast it was found that 56,162 

 valid votes were registered, of which 30,233 went to the Labour 

 party, and 25,929 to the Liberal party. The Droop quota is 

 -~^ or 9,361. Thus the Labour party scores three Droop quotas 

 and consequently secures three seats, the remaining two seats 

 going to the Liberals. 



Having thus allotted the seats to the two pai'ties it only re- 

 mains to count the individual votes. The figure 3 opposite a can- 

 didate's name gives him three votes; the figure 2 gives two votes; 

 and the figure 1 gives one vote. The three highest Labour can- 

 didates and the two highest Liberal candidates would be declared 

 elected. 



This is the simplest possible case that can arise. Suppose the 

 election had been complicated by the appearance of an independent 

 candidate, Robinson, who obtained 3,000 votes. As this is less 

 than the Droop quota, Robinson's 3,000 " party " votes must be 

 divided between the Liberal and Labour parties, and the division 

 must be governed by the distribution of the " individual " votes. 

 Every elector giving his party vote to Robinson, also gives him 

 his individual vote, number 5, and has, therefore, four other 

 individual votes to dispose of. If all four or three or these go to 

 the Liberal party, then the party vote is given to the Liberals. 

 If no individual vote, or only one, is given to the Liberals, then 

 the party vote is transfered to Labour. If each party obtains two 

 individual votes, then the party vote is to be given to that party 



