Sequential proportional approval voting facts for kids

Sequential proportional approval voting (SPAV) is a special way to choose people in an election. It helps make sure that different groups of voters get their fair share of representatives. This method combines two ideas: approval voting and a system called the highest average method.

How Sequential Proportional Approval Voting Works

SPAV helps elect people in a way that is fair to many different groups. Imagine an election where you can vote for as many candidates as you like. This is called approval voting. SPAV then uses a step-by-step process to pick the winners.

Electing the First Candidate

First, the system finds the candidate who has the most votes from everyone. This person is elected.

Adjusting Voter Power

After a candidate wins, the "power" of the votes from people who supported that winner is slightly reduced. This means their votes don't count as much in the next rounds. This helps other candidates get a chance to win.

For example, if you voted for two candidates who won, your vote for the next rounds would be worth less. If you voted for three winners, your vote would be worth even less. This makes sure that voters who already have a representative don't dominate the rest of the election.

Repeating the Process

This process repeats. In each new round, the system looks for the next most popular candidate, but with the adjusted vote powers. This continues until all the needed candidates are elected. This method helps ensure that many different groups of voters feel represented by the winners.

Images for kids

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  This chart shows the steps of how SPAV calculates the winners.

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  This picture helps explain an example election. The candidates with the most votes win in each round. Once a candidate is elected, they are removed for the next round.

See also

In Spanish: Voto aprobatorio proporcional secuencial para niños