Selecting an ordered Party List
using the Single Transferable Vote, Appendix

These 2 examples show that withdrawing candidates from the runoffs may not give the same results as natural counts for fewer places.

Example 1
The runner up for 3 places is also the natural runner-up for 2.

Papers:
300 A
800 AC
800 AD
1400 B... (of which more later)
1360 C... (transfers irrelevant)
670 DA
670 DC

Count for 3 places (quota 1500):
A 1900 -400 1500
B 1400 1400
C 1360 +200 1560
D 1340 +200 1540
ACD elected

Natural Count for 2 places (quota 2000):
A 1900 +670 2570
B 1400 1400
C 1360 +670 2030
D 1340 -1340 -
AC elected

However if you withdraw B from the count altogether, you can contrive to elect any 2 from ACD by saying that B's votes split equally between those two with none to the other candidate, so:
AD elected CD elected
700 BA 700 BA 700 BC
700 BC 700 BD 700 BD
A 2600 A 2600 A 1900
C 2060 C 1360 C 2060
D 1340 D 2040 D 2040
AC elected

Example 2
In the natural count for 2 a surplus arises from the exclusion of the runner-up for 3 places (B). If B is withdrawn the surplus arises at a different stage and is spread over a different batch of papers with a different split.

Papers:
900 AC
900 AD
250 BAC
750 BAD
1700 C...
1500 D...

for 3 places ACD are elected with quota at stage 1.

Natural count for 2 places:
A 1800 +1000 2800 -800 2000
B 1000 -1000 - -
C 1700 1700 +200 1900
D 1500 1500 +600 2100
AD elected

Count for 2 places with B withdrawn:
A 2800 -800 2000
C 1700 +322 2022
D 1500 +462 1962
Non-Transf +16 16
AC elected

Acknowledgements to Keith Edkins for constructing these examples.

Colin Rosenstiel

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