Expert Explains Complex Israeli Election Mandate Allocation Method
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
Attorney Avraham Yoostman, a member of the Central Elections Committee, has detailed Israel's Bader-Ofer method for allocating 120 Knesset mandates after elections. The complex system uses a "meter" calculated from valid votes, minus those below the threshold, divided by 120. Surplus vote agreements between parties are crucial, allowing them to compete as blocs for remaining seats. An iterative calculation determines which party or bloc wins subsequent mandates until all 120 are distributed, with internal divisions also requiring further calculations.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israel uses the Bader-Ofer method to allocate 120 Knesset mandates after elections.
- Attorney Avraham Yoostman explained the complex vote-to-mandate calculation process.
- Surplus vote agreements allow parties to compete as blocs for remaining seats.
- An iterative "meter" calculation determines winners of subsequent mandates.
- The process includes internal divisions of mandates between allied parties.
Following the counting of votes in Israeli elections, the intricate process of allocating the 120 Knesset seats among parties begins. This is not a simple division of votes but is governed by the Bader-Ofer method, named after two Knesset members who introduced it. The system accounts for surplus votes and surplus agreements signed between parties. Attorney Avraham Yoostman, a member of the Central Elections Committee, recently detailed this calculation method using data from the latest elections.
Initially, the total number of valid votes is determined. Votes for lists that did not pass the electoral threshold are subtracted, leaving the votes that will be used for mandate allocation. This remaining total is divided by 120 to establish an initial "meter" or quotient, representing the approximate number of votes needed per mandate. Parties are then allocated their initial whole mandates based on this quotient.
Surplus vote agreements play a crucial role, as parties that sign them are considered a single bloc for the remaining mandate distribution. For example, the Likud and Religious Zionism formed one bloc, and United Torah Judaism and Shas formed another. The remaining mandates are then distributed through a competitive process, akin to an auction, using the Bader-Ofer method. Each party or bloc calculates its "meter" for an additional mandate by dividing its total votes by its already allocated mandates plus one. The party or bloc with the highest meter wins the next mandate.
This iterative process continues until all 120 mandates are allocated. For instance, in the last election, the Likud and Religious Zionism bloc secured the 118th seat, followed by Yesh Atid and Democrats for the 119th seat. The final mandate, the 120th, went to the Joint List and Ra'am.
Furthermore, when parties have a surplus agreement, an internal division of mandates must occur. Yoostman illustrates this with the United Torah Judaism and Shas bloc, which won 13 mandates. An internal meter is calculated, and if one mandate remains after the initial internal division, a further calculation determines which of the two parties receives the additional seat based on which presents a higher meter for it.