Legal Definitions - STV

Single Transferable Vote (STV) is an electoral system used primarily in multi-member elections, meaning contests where more than one person is elected to represent a particular area or group. Its core purpose is to achieve proportional representation, ensuring that the composition of the elected body closely reflects the preferences of the voters.

Under STV, voters do not simply choose one candidate. Instead, they rank candidates in order of preference: 1st choice, 2nd choice, 3rd choice, and so on. Candidates are elected by reaching a specific quota of votes. If a candidate receives more votes than needed to be elected, their surplus votes are transferred to the voters' next preferred candidates. Conversely, if a candidate receives very few votes and is unlikely to be elected, they are eliminated, and their votes are also transferred to the voters' next preferences. This process of electing candidates, transferring surplus votes, and eliminating low-scoring candidates continues until all available seats are filled. The aim is to minimize "wasted" votes and ensure that a wide range of voter preferences are represented in the final outcome.

Here are some examples illustrating how STV works:

• Example 1: City Council Election

  Imagine a city is electing five council members to represent a large district. Instead of voting for five individual candidates, residents rank all candidates on the ballot from their most preferred to least preferred. If a popular candidate quickly reaches the required quota of votes, their excess votes are then distributed to the voters' second-choice candidates. Similarly, if a candidate receives very few first-preference votes, they are eliminated, and their votes are transferred to the voters' second choices. This system helps ensure that the five elected council members collectively represent a broader spectrum of the district's political views and interests, rather than just the largest single voting bloc.

• Example 2: Board of Directors for a Professional Association

  A national association for engineers needs to elect seven members to its board of directors. The association uses STV to ensure diverse representation from different engineering specializations (e.g., civil, electrical, software) and geographic regions. Members rank their choices among the candidates. If a candidate specializing in civil engineering receives a large number of first-preference votes and is elected, their surplus votes might then help elect a candidate focused on software engineering, reflecting the varied priorities of the membership. This prevents the board from being dominated by a single specialty or region, ensuring a more balanced and representative leadership team.

• Example 3: University Student Representative Council

  A large university is electing ten student representatives to its Student Representative Council (SRC) from various faculties and student groups. Using STV, students rank their choices for the ten available seats. This allows for a diverse SRC that includes representatives from different faculties (e.g., arts, science, business), international students, and various campus organizations, even if no single group forms a majority. For instance, a candidate strongly supported by international students might get elected, and their surplus votes could then help elect a candidate popular among postgraduate students, ensuring a broad range of student interests are represented on the council.