How to vote in European elections 2019: What is the UK voting system and how could Brexit impact results?

Tom Herbert23 May 2019

Voters across the UK are going to the polls this morning with the European Parliament elections underway.

At total of 73 MEPs will be elected from nine constituencies up and down the country, with eight members chosen from London.

Voting opened in the UK at 7am on Thursday morning and will close at 10pm, with the results expected after 10pm on Sunday, May 26.

Unlike the first-past-the-post voting system used in general elections, the European contests use a type of proportional representation known as the D'Hondt system.

So what is D'Hondt system and how does it work? The Standard takes a look.

What is the UK voting system?

The UK uses the D'Hondt voting system, which is a form of proportional representation where voters choose a single party instead of an individual candidate.

As the seats are allocated to a party, they in turn allocate them to candidates starting from the top of their list.

The number of elected candidates from each party's list depends on the proportion of votes cast.

How does the D'Hondt voting system work?

In the first round of counting, the party with the most votes is allocated a seat for the candidate at the top of its list.

In the next round, that winning party's vote is divided by two - the number of seats it has been allocated, plus one. If it is still top it gains another seat. If not, whichever party has the most votes then gets the seat instead.

This process continues, with the original vote count of the largest party in each round being divided by one plus the total number of seats they have been allocated so far, until all the seats for the region have been allocated.

For example:

Round 1:

Party A - 120,000 votes

Party B - 90,000 votes

Party C - 30,000 votes

= Party A allocated one seat and its vote share is divided by two to 60,000.

Round 2:

Party B - 90,000 votes

Party A - 60,000 votes

Party C - 30,000 votes

= Party B allocated one seat and its vote share is divided by two to 45,000.

Round 3:

Party A - 60,000 votes

Party B - 45,000 votes

Party C - 30,000 votes

= Party A allocated a second seat, and its original 120,000 vote share is now divided by three (the number of seats it has been allocated, plus one) to 40,000.

How many MEPs will be elected?

A total of 73 MEPs represent the UK. England is split into nine regions: South East England has 10 MEPs, London and North West England each have eight, East of England and the West Midlands each have seven, Yorkshire and the Humber and South West England have six each, the East Midlands has five and North East England has three.

Scotland has six MEPs, Wales four and Northern Ireland three.

How does the voting system work in Northern Ireland?

The three MEPs are elected using the single transferable vote system. Voters rank their candidates in order of preference.

Each candidate needs a minimum number of votes to be elected - a quota calculated based on the number of available seats and votes cast.

The first preference votes for each candidate are added up and any candidate who has achieved this quota is elected.

If a candidate has more votes than are needed to fill the quota, that candidate's surplus votes are transferred to the remaining candidates.

Votes that would have gone to the winner instead go to the second preference listed on those ballot papers.

If candidates do not meet the quota, the candidate with the fewest first preference votes is eliminated and the second preference votes are transferred to other candidates.

These processes are repeated until all the seats are filled.

Why is the UK taking part in the European elections? What happens after Brexit?

Britain is taking part after we delayed the date of our exit from the EU.

However, MEPs are set to leave the parliament once we do leave.

If we have left by the end of June, the MEPs will not take up their seats.

What impact could the D'Hondt voting system have on the results?

Some consider the D'Hondt system to be less proportional than other methods which some believe could end up favouring the Brexit Party, which is currently maintaining a big lead at the top of the polls.

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