Francisville voting system referendum, 2009

Francisville voting system referendum, 2009
National flag of Francisville
Location	Francisville
Date	11 April 2009 (2009-04-11)
Results
Single transferable vote    66.67% Mixed-member proportional representation    33.33% Blank votes    0% Invalid    0%
Website: Historic Francisville

A referendum on the electoral system was held in the Democratic Duchy of Francisville on 11 April 2009. Voters were asked to decide between adopting the single transferable vote or mixed-member proportional representation as the electoral system for the Chamber of Deputies. The single transferable vote was chosen with a two-thirds majority.

Background

The third constitution of the Democratic Duchy of Francisville was enacted on 5 March 2009. In April 2009, a proposed general election was cancelled. A consensus was reached that reforms were necessary to improve the functioning of government. A constitutional assembly, known as the "April Convention", was subsequently organised by Grand Duke James I. The assembly recommended that the existing National Assembly should be replaced with the reformed Chamber of Deputies, elected by either the single transferable vote or mixed-member proportional representation. A referendum was called to decide between these two alternative electoral systems.

Options

Following the recommendations of the April Convention, the referendum asked voters to chooses between two proposed electoral systems for the election of deputies:

• Single transferable vote: Deputies would be elected from a single national list proportionate to the national population, with the option to introduce districting if required. Voters would rank candidates according to preference on a single ballot. Votes could be counted according to Scottish STV rules.
• Mixed-member proportional representation: Deputies would be elected from a combination of single-member constituencies, one corresponding to each canton, and a national party list, variable according to the national population. Voters would have two non-transferable votes; one for their constituency deputy, and one for a political party on the national list.

Results

The single transferable vote was chosen with a majority of 66.67%. It was established as the electoral system for the Chamber of Deputies by the fourth constitution, enacted on 15 May 2009. According to the constitution, the number of deputies varied according to the size of the population based on the most recent census. The Chamber was composed of one deputy for every five citizens plus one additional deputy. The constitution did not rule out the use of districting but this was never necessary in practice due to the small size of the Chamber. The first election to the Chamber was held from 28 May to 3 June 2009.

Choice	Votes	Percentage
Single transferable vote	4	66.67%
Mixed-member proportional representation	2	33.33%
Total votes	6	100%
Voter turnout	60%
Electorate	10

See also

Chamber of Deputies (Francisville)