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Simple English definitions for legal terms
proportional voting
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A quick definition of proportional voting:
Proportional voting is a way of voting where people choose more than one candidate and the votes are counted in a way that ensures that each candidate gets a fair share of the votes. This is used in elections where there are multiple positions to be filled, like in a parliament or city council. It is different from other types of voting, like first-past-the-post, where the candidate with the most votes wins, even if they don't have a majority. Proportional voting is a fair way of making sure that everyone's voice is heard and represented.
A more thorough explanation:
Proportional voting is a system of voting in which each party or group receives a number of seats in proportion to the number of votes they receive. This is different from winner-takes-all systems, where the party with the most votes gets all the seats.
For example, in a parliament with 100 seats, if Party A receives 40% of the votes, they would receive 40 seats. If Party B receives 30% of the votes, they would receive 30 seats. And so on.
This system is used in many countries, including Germany, Spain, and New Zealand.