Let’s say you have multi-member constituencies. You hold an election with an outcome that looks roughly like this:

  • Candidate #1 received 12,000 votes

  • Candidate #2 received 8,000 votes

  • Candidate #3 recieved 4,000 votes

All three get elected to the legislature, but Candidate #1’s vote on legislation is worth three times Candidate #3’s vote, and #3’s vote is worth half Candidate #2’s vote.

I know that the British Labour Party used to have bloc voting at conference, where trade union reps’ votes were counted as every member of their union voting, so, e.g., if the train drivers’ union had 100,000 members, their one rep wielded 100,000 votes. That’s not quite what I’m describing above, but it’s close.

Bonus question: what do you think would be the pros and cons of such a system?

  • Ð Greıt Þu̇mpkin
    8•7 months ago

    That’s kinda how the EU parliament works

    It’s called the qualified majority system, and what it means is that the majority has to both represent a majority of the representatives seated but also a majority of the population represented.

    I actually believe this is how the US senate should work (as long as the need for it is taken as given anyways), preventing a tyranny of the majority but also preventing a corn field court.