How does our voting system actually work?

The general election is just over a week away and there will be wall-to-wall coverage on the state of the parties, the likely winners and losers and the implications for party leaders.

Wed, 17 Feb, 2016 - 00:00

Letters

What won’t be discussed, however, is the electoral system itself because apparently the body politic assumes voters know how to vote despite nobody telling them.

Ireland is almost unique in having PR-STV, which is only used in Malta and parts of Australia. Yet despite that, when was the last time you saw an information advert or received a booklet in the letterbox explaining the voting system?

So before you cast your vote, do you know the answers to the following questions?

1. What is PR-STV?

2. What does 1, 2, 3 mean?

3. Is it possible to tactically vote in PR-STV?

4. Why are candidates disappointed when voters say they will “give them a vote”?

5. Why do candidates fear journalists saying their seats are safe?

6. Is it okay to give a protest candidate your number one and your preferred candidate number two?

7. Do you know how to calculate the quota or, for that matter, what is a quota?

8. Why are there multiple counts, and how are votes transferred?

9. What is the purpose of the tally?

10. Why are some candidates elected without exceeding the quota?

Jason Fitzharris