Civic · 6 pages · 12 min
Why a threshold keeps small parties out or almost out
A legal threshold withholds list seats from parties that stay below a set vote share.
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From the opening
An electoral threshold is a minimum share of the vote a party must reach before it is awarded seats from a proportional pool. Parties below the line can have real support and still receive no list seats, or almost none, because the rule spends those seats on parties that cleared it. The opening covers below the line means no list seats, cleared parties absorb the rest, and a district win can be a side door.
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Inside
- Below the line means no list seats
- Cleared parties absorb the rest
- A district win can be a side door
- Small districts create hidden bars
- Where the idea stops applying
- A distinction worth keeping
Sources
- Electoral threshold in list systems
- German five percent clause