The Mathematics Behind National Council Elections
Published: Saturday, Oct 21st 2023, 08:40
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Mathematics plays an important role in the elections process. In Switzerland, the Hagenbach-Bischoff-Verfahren is used to determine the distribution of seats among the parties. The first step is to calculate the distribution number, which is the total number of valid votes divided by the number of seats plus one. This number is then used as a key to determine the number of seats each party will receive. The party with the highest result will win the next seat. This process is repeated until all the seats are allocated. The threshold for a party to win a seat varies from canton to canton, with some requiring as little as 3% of the votes and others as much as 20%.
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