User:Stephen C Bosworth/sandbox

; and {enclose words I suggest to be moveded}

On their ballot, the voter ranks candidates in order of preference. [Each citizen’s]  vote is initially [counted for their] voter's first preference [candidate]. [Any candidates who may have received the quota of votes defined above, are declared elected. All the votes are then counted as described above.] If seats remain open after this first count, votes are transferred as per the following steps. If that candidate is eliminated, the vote is transferred to the next-preferred candidate rather than being discarded; if the second choice is eliminated, the procedure is iterated to [the next] lower-ranked candidates.  <Before the election, a quota (the minimum number of votes that guarantees election) is calculated [ as described above]  [2]  The specific method of transferring votes varies in different systems (see § Vote transfers and quota). . [SB: perhaps move the following examples to illustrate the first description of the count provided immediately after the introductory paragraphs:]: {For example, in a three-seat STV election using the Hare quota of ( valid votes cast ) / ( seats to fill ), a candidate or party with 33 percent of the votes is guaranteed to win a seat. In a seven-seat STV contest using the Hare quota, any candidate with approximately 14 percent of the vote (either first preferences alone, or a combination of first preferences and lower-ranked preferences transferred}   Additionally[in a seven-member district] a large majority of voters (generally around 80 percent or more) see their vote used to elect someone. Thus under STV, the candidates who make up a majority of the district's elected members are supported directly by a majority of the voters in the district. DIT BELOW THIS LINE -->