Our Country Vote Election 2007

How to vote for different types of MPs in the December 23 election

07-11-2007

The 2007 Constitution will reduce the total number of Members of Parliament from 500 in last election to 480.

Of the 480 MPs, 400 are constituency MPs while 80 are party-list, or so-called proportionate MPs.

According to the new Constitution’s election rules, the country is divided into eight zones, each of which has 10 party-list MPs.

Today is the first day for the registration of candidates hoping to become party-list MPs. Leaders or party representatives will draw a number to be assigned for each party for party-list votes. The number for the party will be the same in all eight zones nationwide.

The forthcoming election will have the same number of constituency MPs as before, but each constituency has become larger and two or three MPs will be selected for each – depending on the population – instead of one MP per "seat" previously.

Candidates hoping to be elected as constituency MPs will register from November 12-16. MP candidates will be involved in a draw so that all get a number. Unlike party-list MP candidates, constituency candidates from the same party might not get the same number in other constituencies.

For the other ballot card, they will have to remember two or three numbers for candidates they favour in their constituency.

Therefore, on the election day, voters will get two ballot cards. One card is for party-list MPs, and they need to remember just the number for the party they prefer.

Calculation of votes for party-list MPs

Each party can field up to 10 candidates to be party-list MPs in each of the eight zones nationwide.

Valid ballot cards will be counted and divided by 10, to give a figure, which we shall call ‘X’. Each party that gets X number of votes will get a party-list MP for that seat. Candidates with the highest positions – most votes – will become the party-list MPs for each seat.

For example, if the total number of valid ballot cards in zone 1 is 1,000,000. Parties will get a seat for each 100,000 votes.

If Party A gets 552,055 votes, it will initially get five seats for the zone. The first five candidates on its list will win seats.

Party B gets 371,000 votes, it first gets three seats for the zone. The first three candidates on its list get seats.

Eight seats have been taken.

Now, if other parties get less than 100,000 votes ...

If Party C gets 80,123 votes, it will win the ninth seat for zone 1. And the last seat for the zone would go to Party B, which received 71,000 of the "remaining" votes. The fourth candidate on its list would get the 10th seat.

For the remaining votes – fewer than X – the party that receives the most votes will can get the seat. If there is more than one seat "left", the party receiving the most remaining votes will get the next seat.

More News >>