Surplus Transfer in PR

[eurocrat]

If they have a recount do they sample the same pile or a different pile?

[michael1965]

Recounting just means rechecking the same bundles/piles. The ballots are kept in the same order.

[redfish]

2. The proportion of 3rd and subsequent preferences is not taken into account

I'm not sure what you mean by this. If candidate (a) is not elected on the first count, only the third preferences and lower will be available from (a's) surplus to be redistributed.

Hope this clarifies - Consider a scenario where
- Candidate a is elected in first ballot
- Surplus (by proportion of 2nd preference) votes are transferred to candidate z
- Candidate z gets eliminated
- All candidate z next preferences are transferred to other candidates(these transfers include the 3rd preferences of candidate a)

Does that make sense?

[Retired Tallyman]

they pick a bunch.. work out the proportion, and divide up the surplus based on the proportion.

That can be very important if there is a geographical bias in the bunch picked

Unfortunately ROC you are incorrect here. If Bertie has a surplus of 3000 votes and a quota of 10000 ALL 13000 votes are examined for second or next available preference. The 3000 are then divided on the basis of this precentage (excluding the non transferrable portion). The randomisation occurs at this stage where the e.g. 500 votes due to Cyprian Brady will be picked from across all the piles at perhaps one or 2 from the top of each bundle showing bertie as number 1 and Brady as number 2. This is the vote that actually moves to Brady.