Each person will have two votes, one for a constituency MP and one for a party list.
Filling Vacancies
In the event of the death, resignation, or disqualification of an Assembly member from a constituency seat a by-election would be held for the vacancy. It would be run in exactly the same way as a normal election outlined above.
The list system will work as follows. The elector will cast their vote for a named party, the ballot paper will also display the names of the party nominees and any independents. People will vote by putting a cross against the name of the political party.
The list members will be awarded in such a way as to make the result from that region (list members and constituency members) as proportional as possible.
This is done by dividing the number of votes cast by electors for each party on the regional list by the number of constituency seats in that region won by that party plus one. The party with the largest remainder gets the first list seat. The process is then repeated (using the list votes divided by the number of seats now held plus one) until all four list seats are awarded.
To illustrate this take the result of the last general election (1997) taken over the North Wales Euro constituency. In reality the votes for each party's list may well be different to the aggregate vote of the parties in the first past the post constituencies as people may vote for a candidate that they like in a constituency while voting for their preferred party in the party lists.
In this election the votes (expressed as percentages) were:
Labour | Conservative | Plaid Cymru | Liberal Democrat | Other | AM Result | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Constituency Seats | 7 | 2 | ||||
Party Vote | 45.60 | 24.83 | 14.45 | 12.05 | 3.38 | |
1st AM | ÷ 8 = 5.70 | ÷ 1 = 24.83 | ÷ 3 = 4.82 | ÷ 1 = 12.05 | ÷ 1 = 3.38 | Con win |
2nd AM | ÷ 8 = 5.70 | ÷ 2 = 12.42 | ÷ 3 = 4.82 | ÷ 1 = 12.05 | ÷ 1 = 3.38 | Con win |
3rd AM | ÷ 8 = 5.70 | ÷ 3 = 8.28 | ÷ 3 = 4.82 | ÷ 1 = 12.05 | ÷ 1 = 3.38 | Lib Dem win |
4th AM | ÷ 8 = 5.70 | ÷ 3 = 8.28 | ÷ 3 = 4.82 | ÷ 2 = 6.03 | ÷ 1 = 3.38 | Con win |
Thus the total seats for the North Wales region would be:
Party | Percentage of Vote | Assembly Constituency Seats | List Seats | Total Assembly Seats |
---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | 45.60 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Conservative | 24.83 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Plaid Cymru | 14.45 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Liberal Democrat | 12.05 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Others | 3.38 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Filling Vacancies
In the event of the death, resignation, or disqualification of an Assembly member from a list seat then the next available candidate from that party list would be declared elected to the vacancy.
Electoral Region | North Wales |
---|---|
Number | Westminster Constituency |
1 | Ynys Mon |
2 | Caernarfon |
3 | Conwy |
4 | Clwyd West |
5 | Clwyd South |
6 | Vale of Clwyd |
7 | Delyn |
8 | Alyn and Deeside |
9 | Wrexham |
Electoral Region | Mid And West Wales |
Number | Westminster Constituency |
10 | Meirionnydd Nant Conwy |
11 | Montgomery |
12 | Ceredigion |
13 | Brecknock and Radnorshire |
14 | Preseli Pembrokshire |
15 | Carmarthen West and South Pembrokshire |
16 | Carmarthen East and Dinefwr |
17 | Llanelli |
Electoral Region | South Wales West | Electoral Region | South Wales Central |
---|---|---|---|
Number | Westminster Constituency | Number | Westminster Constituency |
18 | Gower | 25 | Cynon Valley |
19 | Neath | 26 | Rhondda |
20 | Aberavon | 27 | Pontypridd |
21 | Swansea East | 28 | Vale of Glamorgan |
22 | Swansea West | 29 | Cardiff West |
23 | Ogmore | 30 | Cardiff South and Penarth |
24 | Bridgend | 31 | Cardiff Central |
32 | Cardiff North |
Electoral Region | South Wales East |
---|---|
Number | Westminster Constituency |
33 | Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney |
34 | Caerphilly |
35 | Blaenau Gwent |
36 | Islwyn |
37 | Torfaen |
38 | Newport East |
39 | Newport West |
40 | Monmouth |
© Lyn David Thomas 1998
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