#Elections2024: How seats are allocated after voting

POLOKWANE – On May 29, voters will decide which political party will govern for the next five years.

Voting in national elections is crucial, because every vote counts. Seat allocation at national, regional, and provincial level is, however, still unknown territory for most ordinary voters.

In an informational statement shared with BONUS, Sethibo Simon Thobakgale, the IEC provincial office’s senior outreach officer, explained that Schedule 1A of the Electoral Act prescribes the seat allocation method. This method has been in use since 1994 and has been adapted to facilitate independent participation.

Firstly, the quota for a seat is calculated by dividing all valid votes by the number of seats plus one, then adding one to the result and disregarding fractions. The total number of votes cast in favour of each party or independent candidate is then divided by the quota.

If not all seats are initially allocated, the highest remainder method is used. This involves awarding seats according to the sequence of highest surplus votes, with up to five seats in national elections allocated this way before defaulting to the highest average number of votes per seat.

Votes determine the number of seats a party or independent candidate receives in the national and or provincial legislature:

A political party receives a share of seats in parliament proportional to the number of votes it receives in the election. However, an independent candidate can only secure one seat, even if they obtain double the number of votes required for a seat, because they are only an individual.

The rest of their votes are wasted. For instance, if an independent candidate contests and wins multiple regions, they must occupy the region with the highest votes and forfeit the others.

The threshold for an independent candidate or a party to gain a seat in the legislature is determined by the Electoral Act. The Electoral Commission calculates the quota for a seat by dividing all valid votes by the number of seats, adding one to the result, and disregarding fractions.

The total number of valid votes cast in favour of a political party or independent candidate is then divided by the quota. If not all seats are initially allocated, the highest remainder method is used to distribute the remaining seats according to the highest surplus votes. In national elections, up to five seats are allocated this way, with subsequent allocations based on the highest average number of votes per seat.

If an independent candidate wins enough votes for more than one seat, they forfeit the additional seats.

Vacancies arise when a party candidate or independent dies, resigns, or loses membership in the assembly.

If a party candidate leaves, the party nominates another candidate to fill the vacancy.

If an independent candidate leaves, the votes are recalculated to determine which party or independent who contested the previous election is entitled to the vacated seat, disregarding the votes cast for the departing candidate.

Votes and seats allocated to the candidate already in office are also disregarded.