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Proportional Representation
An election system, practiced in many European democracies, in which representatives are elected in proportion to the votes received. This system contrasts with the majority and plurality—winner take all—voting systems common in Great Britain and her former colonies. The goal of proportional representation is to better represent minority groups, especially racial and ethnic minorities, and avoid “wasted” votes. There are many types of proportional representation systems, including party list, mixed-member, and preference voting. The party list system is the most common; candidates receive the percentage representation in legislature that matches their proportion of the vote. A closed-list system is where a political party decides beforehand the order of candidates on the ballot. In an open-list system, voters decide the order in which candidates are chosen. ...