Electoral system for national legislature

Netherlands, Act of 28 September 1989 containing new provisions governing the franchise and elections (Elections Act), Last amended by Act of 29 October 2009, Bulletin of Acts and Decrees 2009, no. 452, accessed 20 April 2021

Section P 2

1. A set of identical lists as referred to in section H 11, subsection 1 shall be treated as a single list for the purposes of determining the election result.

2. The central electoral committee shall add up the total votes for these identical lists and the numbers of votes cast for each candidate.

Section P 3

A group of lists as referred to in section H 11, subsection 2 shall, for the purposes of determining the number of seats to be allocated to it, be treated as a single list with a total vote equal to the sum of the total votes cast for the lists comprising the group.

Section P 4

1. A combined list as referred to in section I 10 shall, for the purposes of determining the number of seats to be allocated to it, be treated as a single list with a total vote equal to the sum of the total votes cast for the lists comprising the combination.

2. A combined list shall be taken into account only if at least two of the lists merged would have been allocated a seat if no combined list had been formed. Merged lists which would not have been awarded a seat individually shall not be deemed to form part of the combined list.

Section P 5

1. The central electoral committee shall divide the sum of the total votes cast for all the lists by the number of seats to be allocated.

2. The quotient thus obtained shall be known as the electoral quota.

Section P 6

A seat shall be awarded to a list as many times as the total vote for that list contains the electoral quota.

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§ 3 Award of seats to the candidates

Section P 15

1. Candidates who have obtained a number of votes exceeding 25% of the electoral quota on the joint lists on which they appear shall be elected in the order of the number of votes cast for them, provided sufficient seats have been awarded to the relevant group of lists, set of identical lists not forming part of a group or separate list. If the numbers are the same, the matter shall if necessary be decided by lot.