10.    The Electoral System

 

10.1.    First Past the Post and Single Transferable Vote

The Local Electoral Act 2001 permits two options for electoral systems. Council currently operates its elections under the “First Past the Post” (FPP) system. Under the FPP system electors vote by indicating their preferred candidate and the candidate that receives the most votes is declared the winner regardless of the proportion of votes that candidate obtained.

The second option is the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system; this was used in District Health Board elections in 2016 (which they are required to use). Under the STV system electors rank the candidates in order of preference. The number of votes required for a candidate to be elected (called the quota) depends on the number of positions to be filled and the number of valid votes. The necessary number of candidates to fill all the vacancies is achieved:

• first by the counting of electors first preferences;
• then by a transfer of a proportion of votes received by any candidate where the number of votes for that candidate is in excess of the quota; and
• then by the exclusion of the lowest polling candidates and the transfer of these votes in accordance with the voters second preferences.