HARE'S SYSTEM OF VOTING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2237, 14 January 1897, Page 53

HARE'S SYSTEM OF VOTING.

AN IMPORTANT EXPERIMENT. ■ During the session which ended a few^weeks I ago the Tasmania Parliament decided on one ' of the most important, electoral reforms ever proposed in Australia — namely, the adoption of Hare's system of voting. The system (says the Sydney Telegraph) is to be applii d in Launceston and Hobart only, so that an opportunity may be obtained of judging how it works. What ia now called Hare's system 13 almost the same as that devised by Mr Andrae, a Danish statesman and mathematician, early in the century, and since used in Denmark under the name of the single transferable vote, in parliamentary elections. Each Diniah elector has one vote, and places the figure 1 I opposite the name of the candidate whom jhe wishes elected ; but he can go on j to indicate, in order of preference by the i figures 2, 3, and bo on, the other candidates whom he would next wish to see returned. A similar system was proposed in New Zealand by Mr T. W. Hislop, then Minister for Justice, j a few years ago, but rejected principally on the ground that it would puzzle both electors and I returning officers, which is the common objection to the scheme, though " mock elections " j held in accordance with it have invariably gone ' off easily and successfully. The contingent 1 vote in Queensland waß n step toward Hire's ' system, whioh, according to John Stuart Mill, is "not only the most complete application of \ the democratic principle that h»js yet been ; made, but its greatest safeguard." The Tas- \ manian Attorney-general, Mr A. I. Clark, one of the most Advanced and practical of Australasian statesman, has induced the Parliament of that colony to try tho experiment in th» two metropolitan constituencies at the next elections by the use of a system which, though not precisely Hare's, is virtually the name in effect. Consequently thin is what will happen : The Hobart or Launceston elector, on obtaining his ballot paper, will vote "one" for one candidate. Then he can go on to vote "two," "three," "four," and so on for as many as he pleases, to indicate whom he wishes eleotod after the candidate for whom he has given his principal vote. He will not strike out any names, but just vote " one " and onward. The returning offionr, in counting the votes, will first fir what is called a " quota." Suppose there are 50 ballot papers, -and five members to be elected, then 10 is the quota. First of all, the papers having the figure one (or first vote) opposite the name of the same candidate will be set aside and counted. Any candidate who has the_quota of first votes is,. of course, elected. When he hss got the quota, if there are any remining first votes for him, the remainder are set aside and not counted for him ; they go to the candidates for whom they vote "two." The full nunobsr of them is not given to the " two " candidate, however ; they are allotted to him in fchu same proportion as these surplus papers bear to the whole number on whioh "one " was voted for the candidate who has beeu declared ! elected. Then, if the second candidate has an excess of votes in this way, they will be transferred to the candidate for whom "three" has been voted, and so on, on precisely the same prinoiple. Suppose no candidate, or an insufficient number, obtain the necessary quota, the candidate lowest on the poll ia put out, and his votes transferred to the others, acoording to the numbers on them that indicate the electors' order of preference. This mny be done with the next lowest candidate, if necessary, and again -and again, until the wish of the electors, as expressed in the numbers, has been got at and enforced, or until there are only left aa many candidates as there are members to be elected — in which, case, of course, those candidates are elected. The system iv operation oannot be better explained than by reproducing the following specimen .of an election under it, which is appended to Mr Clark's bill :—: — Suppose there are four members to be elected and there are six candidates and the total number of valid votes polled is 3000. tlnt In accordance with the directions contained in section 115, the number of valid votes (3000) will be divided by the number of members to be elected (4), and the result (750) will ha the quota of votes required to elect a member. First Count. A has 800 first votes. A and D are declared elected, and the surplus of A'b first votes is transferred to the other candidates, B has 420 first votes. who are marked 2 on the same ballot papers (in pursuance of suction 116, sub-section V) in such a. manner that C has 180 first votes. each of the other candidates receives the same proportion of such surplus votes aa all the papers on which D has 780 first votes. his name is marked with the figure 2 ia the parcel bear to the whole 800 ballot papers in tho said parcel. Eha 3 720 first votes. A has 50 surplus votes, and as E is marked 2 on 640 out of the 800 papers, and F is marked 2 on 160, it fulF ha 3 100 first votes. lows that E is entitled to four-fifths and F to one-fifth of the surplus. The returning officer will, therefore, transfer 40 of A's surplus votes to E, and the remain* ing 10 of A's surplus votes to F. D has a surplus of only 30 votes, and, following the same course. 20 of his surplus ballot papers are found to be trannferable to B, and the remaining 10 to O. The numbers on the second count will then be as follow :— A, 800, less* 50 votes trans- A, D, and E are now ferred to other candl- declared elected, _ but dates— 7so (elected). another member is required, and there must j therefore be another B, 420, and 20 votes trans- transfer of any surplus ferred from the sur- votes and a third count, plus votes of D— 44o. The only candidate who I had a surplus on the > second count was XL

0, 180, and 10 votes trans- who had a surplus of lj ferred from the sur- votes in consequence of, plus votes of D— loo. having had 40 of A'a! surplu* votes trans- 1 _. „- , „„ ferred to him. Ho will! -U.7BU, less SO votes trans- retain permanently 30 ferred to other candi- of those surplus votes dates— /50 (elected). became they are necessary to give him the v Ton j<n , requisite quota of 750 J!i.7iU,and4ovotestrans- votes, but the other 10 ferred from the sur- of A's surplus ballot plus votes of A-700 papers will now be (elected). Transferred to tho candidates whotc names v inn am *. j. are mar^ed on them F, 100, and 10 votes trans- with tho figure 3. and The numbers on the third count will therefore stand as follow :— A 75Q (elected) There still remains a member to be elected, and there are not any '-» jin ~ j ia . Biore surplus votes to B, 440, and 10 votes be transferred. It there- ] transferred from E's fore becomes liecesaary ; surplus on -the second to reduce the number j count— 4oo of candidates by exclud* 1 ing the one who ia loweat on the poll as it now „ . M stands, and to transfer *-> 1W his votes to the candidates who are marked •n nrn / i i. j, 2 , ou the ballot papers, D 750 (elected) which have hitherto been counted for him. m „«./» , , , „ Thelcwestcandidateon E 760 (elected) the poll- is I<\ with 110 • • votes, and he is now excluded. Upon SO of * •••110 the ballot papers hitbetto counted for V the namenfJJ ismarked 2, and ou the other 30 of them the name of O is * ' marked 2. The numbers on tho fourth count will therefore be as followK : — A 760 (elected) > Only three candidates have succeeded up to tho proßent time in obB, 450 and SO votes tainfng the requisite el£ D ; jf , erreti , ixora F ~ &vote& vote of votes . ttn <i it oiO (elected) therefore becomes necessury t» reduce again tha . ... , „„ number of candidates C, 190 and 30 votes by excluding the one transferred from F— who is lowest on the 220 poll as it now stands. The lowest candidate is _ , O, and he >" . excluded, ■D 750(elected) le-iving only the oame number of candidates as there aw members to E iSQ (elected) be elected viz , A, B, JD.and E, who are therefore declared elected, and the election ii elcsed.