Additional Member
System:
- You get two votes, one for the local MP and one for the region.
- Local MP vote works via FPTP
- LIST system for the regional vote.
- For the regional seat, parties have to draw up a list of candidates and they decide the order that they’ll be elected with electors can only vote for one party.
- % of votes = % of seats for the regional seats but if a party has won a disproportionally high number of seats they may not be in the last.
- Regional seats are allocated using the ‘Hondt formula”
- “Total number of votes/number of seats already + seats gained
- Elected in the order they appear on the party list.
Advantages:
- Combines best features of FPTP and proportional representation
- Votes are less likely to be wasted
- Voters have greater choice
- Improves representation of women
- Easy to count, not difficult to understand how the outcome is reached
Disadvantages:
- Creates two categories, one with the consistency and one without so this may create tensions within the legislative assembly.
- Parties have control over the closed list so voters cannot pick members.
- Smaller parties are under-representative because only a few members are elected.
- Proportional outcomes are less likely where the number of additional members was in the Welsh assembly.