MAYOR OF MANCHESTER
Approve as many candidates as you like
approval.vote // Fair Share Voting
A proportional form of approval voting that still keeps local representation
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The Basics (For Everyone)
🏛️ Voting for Leaders: Simple "Approve" Voting
For executive roles like a city mayor, you'd use Approval Voting. Instead of picking just one candidate, you simply vote "yes" (approve) for as many candidates as you like. The candidate with the most "approves" wins.
🏛️ Voting for Parliament: Proportional Representation
For elections to Parliament, you would cast a vote for your preferred political party. The goal here is proportional representation, meaning that if your party gets 20% of the votes nationally, they should get roughly 20% of the seats.
Why This Matters: Current polls show Reform UK at around 26%, but under First
Past The Post they could win a large majority with just over a quarter of votes. Meanwhile,
Liberal Democrats polling at 15% might win only a handful of seats, and Greens at 9% could
be largely excluded. This system ensures representation that matches vote share.
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Enhanced Participation (Optional Details)
👥 Your Say on Party Candidates
When you vote for a party, you can optionally approve individual candidates on their list. Your approvals help decide who gets elected from that party's list if they win seats.
The Power of Choice: You decide how much you want to engage - from simple party
voting to detailed candidate approval.
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The Complete Process (Advanced)
This explains how every vote contributes to a seat. No votes are wasted - if your party doesn't get enough votes for a seat directly, your vote gets transferred to help elect someone else.
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📊 Calculate "Cost Per Seat"
Divide remaining unspent votes by remaining seats
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🔄 Identify Unspent Votes
Find votes beyond what parties need for their seats
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↗️ Transfer Votes
Redistribute from smallest to largest party according to preferences
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🏆 Award New Seats
Parties buy seats they can now afford with transferred votes
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🔁 Repeat or Finish
Continue until all 650 seats are allocated
The Result: Every vote contributes to the final outcome, with transfers ensuring
broad representation.
📄 Sample Ballot: How You'd Vote
Here's what your ballot would look like under this new system:
GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT
Manchester Central - May 2029
HOUSE OF COMMONS
Choose ONE party, then optionally approve candidates
Liberal Democrat Candidates (Optional)
And more candidates...
What This Voter Did: Approved 2 mayoral candidates, chose Liberal Democrats
for Parliament, and approved 3 specific Lib Dem candidates who would be prioritized if the party
wins seats.
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A Worked Example: 650 Seats, 47 Million Votes
💡 Why This Matters
🎯 Proportional Representation
Every vote counts toward the final outcome. Fewer "safe seats" or "wasted votes" - your voice matters wherever you live and whoever you support.
🤝 Collaborative Government
Encourages parties to work together and find common ground, leading to more moderate, consensus-based policies.
📈 Higher Turnout
When every vote matters, more people participate. Countries with proportional systems consistently see higher voter turnout.
The Bottom Line: This system provides government that better represents the electorate,
moving beyond the limitations of First Past The Post.
Learn More About Voting Systems
Interested in exploring different approaches to democratic representation?