What is D'Hondt?
The D'Hondt method is a mathematical formula used to allocate the 56 regional seats in the Scottish Parliament. It's designed to make overall representation more proportional to vote share.
How It Works
For each regional seat to be allocated:
- Each party's regional votes are divided by (constituency seats won + 1)
- The party with the highest result wins that regional seat
- The process repeats until all 7 regional seats are allocated
The Practical Impact
This creates a critical dynamic: parties with many constituency seats find it very difficult to win regional seats.
For example, if the SNP wins 9 out of 9 constituency seats in a region, their regional votes are divided by 10. This makes it nearly impossible for them to win additional regional MSPs, even with substantial vote share.
Understanding Your Power
The second vote is where supporters of independence can maximise pro-independence representation by voting for parties that won few or no constituency seats.
This isn't tactical voting—it's understanding how the system works and using your sovereignty effectively.