The 2009 European Parliament Elections: From Votes to Seats in 27 Ways

Abstract

The 2009 European Parliament elections were the largest transnational elections in history. By EU primary law each Member State is allotted a fixed number of seats. Within a Member State, the seat apportionment is governed by national electoral provisions. The national provisions are subject to principles common to all Member States. We present an overview of the 27 national apportionment procedures used in the 2009 elections. Our focus is on the translation of votes into seats, such as electoral thresholds, divisor methods of apportionment, quota methods of apportionment, and single transferable vote systems. Some Member States implement two-step systems comprising a super-apportionment and several sub-apportionments.