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Single transferable vote facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Single Transferable Vote (STV) is a special way of voting. It helps make sure that different groups of people are fairly represented in government. This system is used when people need to choose more than one winner, like for a city council or a parliament. With STV, you don't just pick one person; you rank your favorite candidates in order.

How to Vote with STV

When you vote using STV, you get a ballot paper with all the candidates listed. Instead of putting an "X" next to just one person, you rank them.

Here's how you do it:

  • Put the number "1" next to the candidate you like the most.
  • Put the number "2" next to your second favorite candidate.
  • Put the number "3" next to your third favorite, and so on.

You can rank as many candidates as you want. This way, your vote can still count even if your first choice doesn't win.

How Votes are Counted in STV Elections

Counting votes in an STV election is a bit different from other systems. The main goal is to elect the right number of people fairly.

The Winning Number (Quota)

First, election officials figure out a special number called the "quota." This is the minimum number of votes a candidate needs to win. The quota depends on how many people are voting and how many spots need to be filled.

Electing Candidates with Surplus Votes

Next, all the "number 1" votes for each candidate are counted. If a candidate gets more votes than the quota, they are elected right away! But since they have more votes than they needed, their extra votes (called "surplus" votes) are passed on to other candidates.

How are these surplus votes passed on? They look at the ballot papers of the elected candidate. For each of those ballots, they see who the voter chose as their "number 2" candidate. These "number 2" votes are then given to those candidates. If these extra votes help another candidate reach the quota, they also get elected. If they get too many votes, their surplus votes are passed on using the "number 3" choices, and so on.

Excluding Candidates with Fewest Votes

If not enough candidates have been elected yet, the candidate with the fewest votes is removed from the race. The votes for this excluded candidate are not wasted! Instead, they are passed on to the voter's next choice. For example, if your first choice is removed, your vote goes to your "number 2" candidate. This can help other candidates reach the quota.

This process of passing on surplus votes and excluding candidates with the fewest votes continues. It stops only when all the needed positions have been filled.

Places That Use STV

Many places around the world use the Single Transferable Vote system. Some examples include:

Images for kids

  • Ballot paper for the 2016 ACT election

    A Single Transferable Vote ballot paper from the 2016 Australian Capital Territory general election for the Brindabella electorate.

  • Carl Christoffer Georg Andræ

    Carl Andræ, a Danish politician who helped develop the STV system.

  • Thare

    Thomas Hare, a British lawyer who also worked on the idea of STV.

  • Victorian-senate-paper-folded-01

    An Australian Senate ballot paper used in Victoria for the 2016 election.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Voto único transferible para niños

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