What does proportional representation entail?

Proportional representation is a voting system in which the number of legislative seats each party receives is directly correlated to the number of votes they obtain in an election. This system is designed to ensure that all votes contribute to the overall political representation in a legislative body, reflecting the diverse political preferences of the electorate more accurately than winner-takes-all systems. For instance, if a party receives 30% of the vote, they would be allocated approximately 30% of the seats in the legislature, allowing for a more equitable distribution of power among different political parties.

In contrast, other options do not accurately describe proportional representation. Some may support a fixed number of seats for each party regardless of vote share, while others might suggest direct popular votes to elect individual representatives or prioritize regional concerns over overall vote distribution. These approaches diverge from the core principle of proportional representation, which emphasizes the relationship between votes received and seats won.