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Super District Example

Instead of 80 single member districts, imagine...

16 State Assembly districts - 5 members each

Takes approximately 20% of the vote to win a seat

40% of the vote = 40% of the seats...not zero

60% of the vote = 60% of the seats...not 100%

This map illustrates one method of electing the California Assembly using proportional representation. Instead of 80 single-member districts, the state is divided into 16 5-member districts. Either the Party List (Open or Closed) or the Choice Voting form of PR could be used.

Most districts would elect either three Democrats and two Republicans or three Republicans and two Democrats (the districts that include San Francisco and West Hollywood might elect four Democrats and one Republican). Every district would be competitive for the fifth seat. In addition, there would be no "orphan" Republicans or Democrats (that is, members of one of the two major parties without someone to represent them).

The threshold of election would be 16.7%; that is, using the Party List system, for every 16.7% of the vote that a party or independent candidate received, they would win one seat. Using Choice Voting, any candidate who received 16.7% of the vote, either as first choices or from transfers from elected and eliminated candidates, would win a seat.

(Download map as PDF)