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In a Mixed Member Proportional System there are representatives for local districts and representatives elected as a result of the popular vote for each party. Electors are given two ballots to fill out, a local district ballot and a list ballot. Local district representatives are elected using the traditional method, referred to as First-Past-the-Post. List representatives are elected as result of a vote where electors indicate which political party they prefer. The Commission on Prince Edward Island's Electoral Future has proposed a Mixed Member Proportional System in which the members of the Legislative Assembly will consist of 17 local district representatives and 10 list representatives.
A seat allocation formula is used to determine how many list seats each party has earned. The seat allocation formula ensures that the final standing for each party in the legislature comes as close as possible to its proportion of popular vote on party preference as determined by the electors. The Commission on Prince Edward Island's Electoral Future has recommended that the d'Hondt method be used to allocate list seats. The d'Hondt method allocates the 10 list seats based on a combination of the popular vote and the number of district seats which a party has won in the district elections relative to the 27 seats in the legislature.
Following the determination of the number of list seats for each party using the d'Hondt formula, the seats are assigned as follows: Each party has ten candidates ranked from 1 to 10 on its party list. The first list seat a given party receives as a result of the list seat allocation process goes to the candidate ranked first on the party list. The second list seat a given party receives as a result of the list seat allocation process goes to the candidate ranked second on the party list. This process continues in the same manner until the ten list seats are awarded.
The d'Hondt formula, which was created in 1878, begins by taking the total votes each party receives on the list ballot (popular vote). Through a series of mathematical calculations, the "cost" (in votes) of the "next" seat for each party is determined and the formula continues to be applied until all list seats are allocated. The Commission has created a d'Hondt Method Calculator to allow citizens to see how various combinations of district and list seat election results would result in the assignment of seats. For reference purposes, you can see the results [PDF, 41KB] of P.E.I.'s previous nine provincial elections. The Commission has also created an application of the d'Hondt method.
