list system

List systems are one of two families of electoral systems using proportional representation .  Proportional representation by the list system is based on the voter choosing between lists of candidates provided by political parties .  While there are many ways of counting votes under a list system, and some versions permit voters to change the order of candidates on the party list or to vote for candidates on different lists, list systems are based on the representation of parties as organizations rather than individual candidates.

In the simplest list systems, an elector votes for a party list, and the share of votes gained by each party list is matched by a similar proportion of seats in the assembly .  If a party wins 30 percent of the votes for an assembly of 100 members, the party is assigned 30 seats, the members being the top 30 of a list of candidates provided by the party before the election.