Understanding Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP) Voting
Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP) is an electoral system designed to aim to ensure that the composition of Parliament more closely reflects how people voted.
How It Works
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Two Votes:
- Local Candidate Vote: Voters choose their local MP, ranking candidates by preference.
- Party Vote: Voters cast a single vote for the party they support.
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Local and List Seats:
- Local Seats: Each electorate elects one MP using preferential voting.
- List Seats: Additional seats are allocated to parties so that their share of total seats aims to match their share of the party vote.
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Proportional Results: After all votes are counted, parties may receive “top-up” seats from their party lists to ensure the final distribution of seats in Parliament more closely reflects the overall votes cast.
In short: Voters still choose a local representative, but the party vote ensures every vote contributes to the final makeup of Parliament.
A Quick Example
- Suppose Party A gets 10% of the party votes but wins no local seats. Under MMP, they may receive list seats to bring them closer to 10% of all seats.
- Suppose Party B gets 30% of the vote, including enough local seats to make up 30% of the total number of seats. In this case, they may receive no list seats.
- This means if a voter supports a smaller party, their party vote is not “wasted” just because their preferred candidate didn't win the local seat. The party vote aims to ensure the party gets representation if enough people across Queensland support them.