This system, named after Belgian mathematician Victor d’Hondt, is a highest-average method for allocating seats in proportional representation systems. It works by repeatedly dividing each party’s vote total by a series of divisors (1, 2, 3, etc.). The highest resulting quotients across all parties are then used to award seats, one at a time, until all seats are filled. For example, imagine three parties receive 100, 75, and 25 votes respectively, and 5 seats are available. The first seat goes to the party with the highest vote total (100). Their total is then divided by 2 (50). The second seat goes to whichever party now has the highest quotient (still 100), and that party’s total is then divided by 2 (50). This continues until all seats are allocated.
The method is widely used for distributing seats in parliamentary elections and other forms of proportional representation, including distributing seats in a corporate board based on shareholder votes. Its popularity stems from its perceived fairness and tendency to favor larger parties, contributing to more stable governing coalitions. Developed in the late 19th century, this method has become a cornerstone of many democratic systems globally, ensuring fair representation based on proportional vote shares.
