Surplus Vote Agreements Between Parties: Deal-Making Phase Begins
Translated & summarized from Globes by baba
Surplus vote agreements between Israeli political parties are set to take effect following the final vote count. These pacts allow parties with similar ideologies to pool excess votes, potentially securing additional Knesset seats. Parties like Likud and Religious Zionism, and Shas and United Torah Judaism have signed agreements, while others like Otzma Yehudit have not. The system aims to maximize representation by allocating leftover votes, with signatory parties gaining an advantage over those who did not sign.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Surplus vote agreements between Israeli parties activate after final vote count.
- Agreements allow parties to pool excess votes for additional Knesset seats.
- Likud, Religious Zionism, Shas, and UTJ are among parties with signed pacts.
- Otzma Yehudit and other parties did not sign surplus vote agreements.
- The Bader-Ofer Law's formula is used to allocate remaining seats to paired parties.
With the final vote count expected tomorrow evening, surplus vote agreements between political parties are set to take effect. These agreements could be crucial in the current election due to the narrow gaps observed between the blocs. Several parties have signed these pacts, including Yisrael Beiteinu and B'Yachad, HaDemocratim and Yashar, Likud and Religious Zionism, Ra'am and the Joint List, and Shas and United Torah Judaism. Such agreements can only be made between two parties and are only relevant if both parties pass the electoral threshold. Parties that did not sign agreements include Otzma Yehudit, Am Israel, the Reservists Party, and the Economic Party.
Surplus vote agreements allow parties with similar political or ideological leanings to pool their excess votes, preventing them from being wasted. The goal is to increase the chances of one of the signatory parties gaining an additional Knesset seat at the expense of another party by combining their leftover votes. The process involves calculating the number of votes needed for one seat, typically around 36,227 based on previous elections. Any remaining seats after the initial distribution are then allocated using a mathematical formula established by the Bader-Ofer Law from 1973. Parties that signed an agreement are calculated as a single unit, enhancing their prospects for securing these remaining mandates.
When two parties with a surplus agreement are eligible for an additional seat, their individual "list meter" is calculated. This involves dividing the votes each party received by its current number of seats plus one. The party with the higher "list meter" wins the additional seat. This calculation is repeated for subsequent remaining seats, with the formula adjusting as needed. Parties that did not sign surplus agreements are at a disadvantage in this allocation process.
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