Single non-transferable vote facts for kids
The Single Non-Transferable Vote (often called S.N.T.V.) is a special way of voting used in elections. It's used in areas where people vote for more than one representative at the same time.
This voting system can help make sure that different groups get a fair share of the seats in government. The more representatives elected from one area, the fairer the results tend to be. Over time, many places have stopped using S.N.T.V. and switched to other voting methods.
Sometimes, S.N.T.V. might seem similar to another voting method called Bloc Voting. However, they are different! In S.N.T.V., voters can only choose one candidate. But in Bloc Voting, voters can pick as many candidates as there are seats to be won.
How S.N.T.V. Works
Let's look at an example where three people will be elected from one voting area:
- Voters choose only one candidate on their ballot paper.
- All the votes are counted up.
- The three candidates who received the most votes win the election!
Here's an example of how the votes might look:
| Candidates | Votes | % | Elected? |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 11,321 | 28% | YES |
| C | 9,591 | 24% | YES |
| B | 8,953 | 22% | YES |
| D | 5,643 | 14% | NO |
| E | 2,761 | 7% | NO |
| F | 1,753 | 4% | NO |
| G | 221 | 0.5% | NO |
| TOTAL: | 40,243 | 100% | 3 |
In this example, Candidates A, C, and B would win because they got the most votes.
Where S.N.T.V. Is Used Today
Not many places use the Single Non-Transferable Vote system anymore. Here are some of the places that still use it:
- Afghanistan (for its House of Peoples)
- Kuwait (for its National Assembly)
- Indonesia (for its Regional Representative Council)
- Puerto Rico (for some seats in its Legislative Assembly)
- Japan (for some seats in its House of Councillors)
- Taiwan (only for the six special seats for aboriginal people in its Legislative Yuan)
- Vanuatu (for its Parliament)
