Scottish Parliament elections use a mixed member system, comprising a first-past-the-post component and a proportional representation component. AUTHORED BY JIM LEISHMAN JUNE SNP AND LOGO BY KIND PERMISSION NO USE UNLESS BY PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR 1

Proportional Representation AUTHORED BY JIM LEISHMAN JUNE SNP AND LOGO BY KIND PERMISSION NO USE UNLESS BY PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR 2

Proportional Representation What does it mean? An electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them. AUTHORED BY JIM LEISHMAN JUNE SNP AND LOGO BY KIND PERMISSION NO USE UNLESS BY PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR 3

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION The Scottish Parliament uses the Additional Member System AUTHORED BY JIM LEISHMAN JUNE SNP AND LOGO BY KIND PERMISSION NO USE UNLESS BY PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR 4

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION How the Additional Member System (AMS) works There are 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) There are two ways an MSP can be elected. Each elector (voter) has two votes. AUTHORED BY JIM LEISHMAN JUNE SNP AND LOGO BY KIND PERMISSION NO USE UNLESS BY PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR 5

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION Your First Vote Scotland is divided into 73 constituencies and each constituency elects one MSP. These are known as CONSTITUENCY MSPs and are elected by 'first past the post' in exactly the same way as MPs are elected to Westminster. This is the elector's 'first vote'. AUTHORED BY JIM LEISHMAN JUNE SNP AND LOGO BY KIND PERMISSION NO USE UNLESS BY PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR 6

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION Your Second Vote The 'second vote' is used to elect 56 additional members. Scotland is divided into 8 parliamentary Regions and each region elects 7 regional MSPs. In the second vote the voter votes for a party rather than a candidate. The parties are then allocated a number of additional members to make the overall result more proportional. The regional MSPs are selected from lists compiled by the parties. These MSPs are also sometimes referred to as List MSPs. AUTHORED BY JIM LEISHMAN JUNE SNP AND LOGO BY KIND PERMISSION NO USE UNLESS BY PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR 7

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION 73 CONSTITUENCY MSP 56 REGIONAL (OR LIST) MSP AUTHORED BY JIM LEISHMAN JUNE SNP AND LOGO BY KIND PERMISSION NO USE UNLESS BY PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR 8

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION The List Vote How Does It Work? THE D’HONDT FORMULA (Victor D’Hondt was a Belgian Mathematician) AUTHORED BY JIM LEISHMAN JUNE SNP AND LOGO BY KIND PERMISSION NO USE UNLESS BY PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR 9

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION The Formula The regional vote cast ÷ number of MSPs already won in the region, + 1 AUTHORED BY JIM LEISHMAN JUNE SNP AND LOGO BY KIND PERMISSION NO USE UNLESS BY PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR 10

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION The party or person with the largest number after this formula is applied wins the round and wins One Regional MSP. This formula will be used 7 times in 7 rounds to elect 7 regional MSPs AUTHORED BY JIM LEISHMAN JUNE SNP AND LOGO BY KIND PERMISSION NO USE UNLESS BY PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR 11

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION Features of the Additional Member System  Voters get two votes - to elect 1 constituency MSP and 7 regional/ list MSPs  Each person living in Scotland has a total of 8 MSPs to represent them.  The overall result is fairly proportional. AUTHORED BY JIM LEISHMAN JUNE SNP AND LOGO BY KIND PERMISSION NO USE UNLESS BY PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR 12

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION  It is unlikely that one party will get an overall majority and therefore coalitions are likely. (For example, see the 1999 election results when Labour and the Liberal Democrats formed a coalition government - the Scottish Executive)  New parties and smaller parties are more likely to get representation than by using 'first past the post'. (e.g. Green Party, Independents, etc) AUTHORED BY JIM LEISHMAN JUNE SNP AND LOGO BY KIND PERMISSION NO USE UNLESS BY PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR 13

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION ON-GOING DISCUSSIONS, AMENDMENTS, ADJUSTMENTS, ETC, ETC AUTHORED BY JIM LEISHMAN JUNE SNP AND LOGO BY KIND PERMISSION NO USE UNLESS BY PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR 14

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION Willie Sullivan, director of ERS Scotland: "Just because Scotland's modern electoral system makes Westminster look like a tribal council doesn't mean that we shouldn't try and make it better. "Concentrations of power are never good. We are convinced our democracy would work better with more parties in the system so that more voices are represented and heard and that power is shared, checked and balanced." AUTHORED BY JIM LEISHMAN JUNE SNP AND LOGO BY KIND PERMISSION NO USE UNLESS BY PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR 15

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION Derek MacKay, the SNP's business convenor, said it agreed with reforming Holyrood's voting system, but said it was powerless to do so as this was controlled by Westminster. "The problem this report does not address in its recommendations is that control of Scotland's voting system is held firmly at Westminster," he said. "The SNP has long argued for fairer voting. However, what this year's results show is that regardless of the system people vote for the party that best represents their views and ambitions." AUTHORED BY JIM LEISHMAN JUNE SNP AND LOGO BY KIND PERMISSION NO USE UNLESS BY PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR 16

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION END AUTHORED BY JIM LEISHMAN JUNE SNP AND LOGO BY KIND PERMISSION NO USE UNLESS BY PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR 17