d'Hondt Law in the elections

2009/07/05 Kortabitarte Egiguren, Irati - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Matematika

Normally seats are those that are distributed according to the law of d´Hondt

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Among other things, the d'Hondt law is a mechanism to reflect the electoral results in political institutions. In other words, it is a mathematical formula to convert the number of votes into number of seats. It is especially known in the political sphere. This law applies especially in the electoral period. However, do not forget that it can be useful for any proportional distribution.

d'According to the law of Hondt, the number of votes of each party is divided by N if there are seats in play. The quotients are ordered and the seats N are distributed, from the highest quotient to the Ngarren.

Distribution of the cake

The law of d´Hondt also serves us to decide how to distribute the cake

From file

It may seem complicated to read, but it's not so much. For a better understanding of this law, we will set the example of the cake. We have a good cake on the table. And ready to eat, four people: A, B, C, and D. The four want to eat everything and is possible if they acquire the right to take the four parts individually. We, for example 100 people, will decide with the vote how the cake will be distributed.

We voted. A has obtained 57 votes, B 23, C 18 and D 2. Made. First, the d'Hondt law establishes that those who have obtained less than 3% of the total votes must be excluded from the competition. D has only two votes, so it will not eat tarts. It is excluded from the competition.

The law of d´Hondt is a mechanism to reflect in political institutions the electoral results

Valery-X{ Lentz

Remember to divide the cake into four parts. Therefore, according to the d'Hondt law, the number of votes obtained by each candidate must be divided into one part, two parts, three and four. They are pieces of cakes in this case, but most of the seats.

How are the four parts divided between the three remaining breakfasts? Easy, choosing the four largest numbers that come out in divisions. The largest number is 57, for which there is a piece of cake, and the second largest number is A, 28.5, so it has two sections. The third is number 23 for candidate B. And the last part, once again, for candidate A, 19 is the next largest number.

The distribution has finished, A will eat three parts and B one. C and D, although they have some votes, will not smell. The same happens with the distribution of political seats. Is it correct? We will not enter into it, but the law of d'Hondt thus distributes the cakes and seats.

Victor d'Hondt (1841-1901) was professor and mathematician of Ghent. He wanted to achieve a proportional representation system for use in future parliamentary systems. And he got it, he met his goal. Another thing is if what you have done is to please everyone or not, or in other words, whether the cast is just or not for everyone.

Those who know a little about it say that the problem is not the formula of proportion.d'Hondt designed his system well, but it is applied badly in Spain, for example. In this sense, there are several parties that, probably, ask Mr. d'Hondt to account whenever the elections are close and blame for the “failure” of his party.

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