1. Proportional Representation
The Scottish Parliament & AMS (The Additional Member System)

2. The Rationale behind Proportional Representation (PR) is simple:
% of votes = % of seats

3. The Scottish Parliament when it was set up, decided not to use First-Past-The-Post
They decided to use a form of Proportional Representation (PR) called The Additional Member System (AMS)
There are also other types of PR, for example STV (Single Transferable Vote) which is used in the Scottish Council Elections.

4. The Scottish Parliament is different from the UK Parliament in that there is not simply 1 MP for each Constituency

5. There are 129 MSPs (Members of Scottish Parliament)
There are 73 Constituencies each with 1 MSP.
However, that leaves a further 56 seats in the Parliament to be filled

6. Examples of Scottish Parliament Constituencies include:
Central Scotland (Region)
Airdrie and Shotts
Coatbridge and Chryston
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth
East Kilbride
Falkirk East
Falkirk West
Hamilton North and Bellshill
Hamilton South
Kilmarnock and Loudon
Motherwell and Wishaw

7. Who is your MSP and what’s your Constituency?
Search MSP and Constituency

8. Those 73 MSPs are elected using First-Past-The-Post
This side of the ballot paper is used to choose the person you want to represent your Constituency. You simply place an X next to the candidate you want to win.
The left side of the ballot paper we’ll look at in a minute.

9. Scotland is broken down into 8 Regions
However, in addition to those 73 MSPs representing 73 Constituencies, 56 further MSPs must be chosen.
Scotland is broken down into 8 Regions
Vote Scotland - List of Regions

10. This side of the ballot paper will create the remaining 56 MSPs.
A further ‘X’ is placed next to the Party you choose. There may be an Independent candidate here too.
This is known as the Regional List

11. There are 8 Regions in Scotland
Each of the 8 regions will be allocated 7 MSPs. This creates the remaining 56 MSPs.

12. How do we work out who gets those remaining seats then?
In each region, the total votes cast for each party are totalled.
Central Scotland
Airdrie and Shotts
Coatbridge and Chryston
Cumbernauld and Kilsyth
East Kilbride
Falkirk East
Falkirk West
Hamilton North and Bellshill
Hamilton South
Kilmarnock and Loudon
Motherwell and Wishaw
For Central Scotland Region, all votes will be totalled.
SNP
Labour
Lib Dems
Tories
Regional votes
60,000
51,000
10,000
20,100

13. 7 calculations then take place and at the end of each calculation, a Party is allocated an MSP.

14. Total Number of Seats in Parliament
SNP
Labour
Lib Dems
Tories
Regional Votes
60,000
51,010
10,000
20,100
Seats Already 4 3 2 1
1st Calculation
60,000/4+1
=12,000
51,010/3+1
=12,752
10,000/2+1
=3333
20,100/1+1
=10,050
2nd Calculation
12,000
51,010/4+1
=10,202
3333
10,050
3rd Calculation
60,000/5+1
=10,000
10,202
4th Calculation
51,010/5+1
=8502
5th Calculation
8502
20,100/2+1
=6700
6th Calculation
60,000/6+1
=8571
6700
7th Calculation
60,000/7+1
=7500
333
Total Number of Seats in Parliament
4+3= 7
3+3= 6
2+0=
1+1=

15. Each party will produce a ‘list’ for that Region and each seat they win will be allocated to the highest person on that list, working down the list if they win more than one.
You can stand as a Candidate for a Constituency and/or the Regional List

16. Map of Central Scotland Region
So 7 Regional/List MPSs are allocated to each of the 8 regions eg Central Scotland
However, they don’t represent a specific Constituency eg Falkirk West – they work on behalf of the whole Region
Map of Central Scotland Region

17. Total Number of Seats in Parliament
SNP
Labour
Lib Dems
Tories
Regional Votes
60,000
51,000
10,000
20,100
Seats Already 4 3 2 1
1st Calculation
60,000/4+1
=12,000
50,100/3+1
=12,525
10,000/2+1
=3333
20,100/1+1
=10,050
2nd Calculation
12,000
50,100/4+1
=10,000
3333
10,050
3rd Calculation
60,000/5+1
10,020
4th Calculation
20,100/2+1
=6700
5th Calculation
51,000/5+1
=8500
6700
6th Calculation
60,000/6+1
=8571
8500
7th Calculation
60,000/7+1
=7500
333
Total Number of Seats in Parliament
4+3= 7
3+3= 6
2+0=
1+1=

18. Current Scottish Parliament
SNP - 47
Labour - 46
Tories -16
Lib Dems -16
Independents - 1
Greens - 2
No Party Affiliation - 1