PR in Wales

I wrote, nearly two years ago, welcoming the change on the composition and size of the Welsh Senedd, or on Medium and was pointed today at what they’ve become.

While using the d’Hondt method i.e. the generally preferred counting method for PR for the new and much larger constituencies, they propose that there are no top up members. The mathematical purpose of the top-up members is to ensure proportionality and the higher the proportion of top up members, the closer to proportionality one gets. It is usual for the top up members to be elected based on a party vote.

The Welsh system proposes to have 16 constituencies each electing six members of the Senedd, meaning a quota and thus a wasted vote of 14.29% and a requirement that the constituencies are of equal size. I wonder what the impact of abolishing the top-up members will be. Perhaps I’ll build a model.