Lesson Module: Apportionment and Voting
I. Lesson Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
Define Apportionment and Voting methods.
Understand different methods of apportionment.
Describe and apply different voting methods.
Solve problems involving apportionment and voting.
Analyze fairness issues in voting and apportionment.
II. Key Concepts and Definitions
✅ 1. Apportionment
Definition: Apportionment is the process of distributing seats (or resources)
among different groups based on their population or votes.
Real-life application: Assigning seats in a legislative body based on state
populations.
✅ 2. Apportionment Methods
Method Description
Also known as the Vinton Method or Largest Remainders
Method. After computing standard quotas and assigning lower
Hamilton’s Method
quotas, remaining seats are distributed to states with the largest
fractional remainders.
Use a modified divisor and rounds down quotas to assign seats. If
Jefferson’s Method not enough seats are assigned, the divisor is decreased until the
total matches the number of seats. Tends to favor larger states.
Use a modified divisor (modified version of Hamilton) and rounds
quotas to the nearest whole number if the fraction is 0.05 or
Webster’s Method above. Adjusts divisor until the correct total number of seats is
assigned. Considered a fair balance between large and small
states.
The modified version of Webster but it uses slightly different
rounding method. Assigns seats based on priority values
calculated using the geometric mean of current and next seats:
Huntington-Hill
Population
Method . The next seat is given to the state with the highest
√ n(n+1)
priority. This method is used for U.S. House of Representatives
apportionment.
Focuses on the relative fractional remainder (fractional remainder
divided by population). After lower quotas are assigned,
Lowndes’ Method
remaining seats go to states with the largest relative fractional
remainders, giving more influence to smaller states.
III. Example Problem
Example (Apportionment):
BLGA Program will get 20 representatives from the four levels:
First Year: 230, Second Year: 180, Third Year: 203, Fourth Year: 172
Steps using Hamilton’s Method:
1. Calculate Standard Divisor:
Total Population ÷ Total Representatives = (230 + 180 + 203 + 172) ÷ 20 = 785 ÷
20 = 39.25
2. Compute Standard Quotas:
o 1st Year: 230 ÷ 39.25 = 5.86
o 2nd Year:180 ÷ 39.25 = 4.59
o 3rd year: 203 ÷ 39.25 = 5.17
o 4th Year: 172 ÷ 39.25 = 4.38
3. Assign lower quotas: 1st = 5, 2nd = 4, 3rd = 5, 4th = 4 (sum = 18)
4. 2 remaining representatives go to the two largest remainder (1 st Year with 0.86, 2nd
Year with 0.59).
BLGA Population Initial Quota Final Quota
1st Year 230 5 6
2nd Year 180 4 5
3rd year 203 5 5
4th Year 172 4 4
Total 18 20
Steps using Jefferson’s Method:
1. Calculate Standard Divisor (like the Hamilton’s Method):
Total Population ÷ Total Representatives = (230 + 180 + 203 + 172) ÷ 20 = 785 ÷
20 = 39.25
2. Compute Standard Quotas:
o 1st Year: 230 ÷ 39.25 = 5.86
o 2nd Year:180 ÷ 39.25 = 4.59
o 3rd year: 203 ÷ 39.25 = 5.17
o 4th Year: 172 ÷ 39.25 = 4.38
3. Assign lower quotas: 1st = 5, 2nd = 4, 3rd = 5, 4th = 4 (sum = 18)
4. This results in a deficit of 2 representatives. The divisor is reduced or rounding
down to 35.
5. Compute Standard Quotas:
o 1st Year: 230 ÷ 35 = 6.57
o 2nd Year:180 ÷ 35 = 5.14
o 3rd year: 203 ÷ 35 = 5.8
o 4th Year: 172 ÷ 35 = 4.91
BLGA Population Initial Quota Final Quota
1st Year 230 5 6
2nd Year 180 4 5
3rd year 203 5 5
4th Year 172 4 4
Total 18 20
Steps using Webster’s Method:
1. Calculate Standard Divisor:
Total Population ÷ Total Representatives = (230 + 180 + 203 + 172) ÷ 20 = 785 ÷
20 = 39.25
2. Compute Standard Quotas:
o 1st Year: 230 ÷ 39.25 = 5.86
o 2nd Year:180 ÷ 39.25 = 4.59
o 3rd year: 203 ÷ 39.25 = 5.17
o 4th Year: 172 ÷ 39.25 = 4.38
3. Assign lower quotas: 1st = 5, 2nd = 4, 3rd = 5, 4th = 4 (sum = 18)
4. Round up the fraction that has 0.5 or above into whole number.
o 1st Year: 5.86 = 6
o 2nd Year:4.59 = 5
o 3rd year: 5.17 = 5
o 4th Year: 4.38 = 4
BLGA Population Initial Quota Final Quota
1st Year 230 5 6
2nd Year 180 4 5
3rd year 203 5 5
4th Year 172 4 4
Total 18 20
Steps using Huntington-Hill’s Method:
Step 1: Initial Assignment
Each level gets 1 seat initially.
Seats assigned: 4
Remaining seats to allocate: 20 - 4 = 16
Step 2: Compute Priority Values
Formula:
Population
Priority Value=
√ n(n+1)
where n is the current number of seats held by the grade level.
Priority Values Table (Initial: n = 1 for all level)
Populati Current Seats
BLGA Priority Value
on (n)
1st 230 ÷ √(1×2) = 230 ÷ 1.414
230 1
Year = 162.70
2nd 180 ÷ √(1×2) = 180 ÷ 1.414
180 1
Year = 127.27
3rd 203 ÷ √(1×2) = 203 ÷ 1.414
203 1
year = 143.55
4th 172 ÷ √(1×2) = 172 ÷ 1.414
172 1
Year = 121.58
Highest priority value: 1 Year gets the next seat.
st
Update 1st Year seats: n = 2
Recalculate Priority Values After Each Assignment
Let's proceed iteratively:
Populati Current
BLGA Priority Value Result
on Seats (n)
1st Year 230 ÷ √(2×3) = 230 ÷
230 2
2.449 = 93.92
2ndYear 180 1 127.27
3 Year
rd
3rd year gets
203 1 143.55
next seat
4thYear 172 1 121.58
Update 3 Year seats: n = 2
rd
Populati Current Seats
BLGA Priority Value Result
on (n)
1st
230 2 93.92
Year
2ndYea 2ndYear gets next
180 1 127.27
r seat
3rd 203 ÷ 2.449 =
203 2
Year 82.89
4thYear 172 1 121.58
Update 2ndYear seats: n = 2
Populati Current Seats
BLGA Priority Value Result
on (n)
1st 4th Year gets next
230 2 93.92
Year seat
2ndYea 180 ÷ 2.449 =
180 2
r 73.47
3rd
203 2 82.89
Year
4thYear 172 1 121.58
Update 4 Year seats: n = 2
th
Populati Current
BLGA Priority Value Result
on Seats (n)
1st Year 230 ÷ √(3×4) = 230 ÷
230 3
3.464 = 66.39
2ndYear 180 2 73.47
3 Year
rd
3rd Year gets
203 2 82.89
next seat
4thYear 172 2 172 ÷ 2.449 = 70.22
Update 3 Year seats: n = 3
rd
This process continues until all 16 remaining seats are assigned.
Final Seat Distribution Calculation
Let's summarize this with the updated seats after each round:
BLGA Population Initial Quota Final Quota
1st Year 230 5 6
2nd Year 180 4 5
3rd year 203 5 5
4th Year 172 4 4
Total 18 20
Steps using Lowndes’ Method:
1. Calculate Standard Divisor:
Total Population ÷ Total Representatives = (230 + 180 + 203 + 172) ÷ 20 = 785 ÷
20 = 39.25
2. Compute Standard Quotas:
o 1st Year: 230 ÷ 39.25 = 5.86
o 2nd Year:180 ÷ 39.25 = 4.59
o 3rd year: 203 ÷ 39.25 = 5.17
o 4th Year: 172 ÷ 39.25 = 4.38
3. Assign lower quotas: 1st = 5, 2nd = 4, 3rd = 5, 4th = 4 (sum = 18)
BLGA Populatio Quota Initial Quota Fractional
n Part
1st Year 230 230 ÷ 39.25 = 5 0.86
5.86
2nd Year 180 180 ÷ 39.25 = 4 0.59
4.59
3rd year 203 203 ÷ 39.25 = 5 0.17
5.17
4th Year 172 172 ÷ 39.25 = 4 0.38
4.38
Total 18
Fractional Part
4. Compute Relative Remainder=P
Population
BLGA Fractional Relative
Part Remainder
1st 0.86 0.86 ÷ 230 =
BLGA Fractional Relative
Part Remainder
Year 0.003739
2nd 0.58 ÷ 180 =
0.58
Year 0.003222
3rd 0.17 ÷ 203 =
0.17
year 0.000838
4th 0.38 ÷ 172 =
0.38
Year 0.002209
5. Assign Remaining Seats
Rank by largest Relative Remainder:
1. 1st Year: 0.003739 → gets 1 seat
2. 2nd Year: 0.003222 → gets 1 seat
BLGA Population Quota Initial Quota Fractional Final Quota
Part
1st Year 230 230 ÷ 39.25 = 5 (+1) 0.86 6
5.86
2nd Year 180 180 ÷ 39.25 = 4 (+1) 0.59 5
4.59
3rd year 203 203 ÷ 39.25 = 5 0.17 5
5.17
4th Year 172 172 ÷ 39.25 = 4 0.38 4
4.38
Total 18 20
✅ 3. Voting Methods
Method Description
Plurality Method The candidate with the most first-place votes wins.
Candidates are ranked, and points are assigned based on
Borda Count
position.
Plurality with Candidates with the fewest votes are eliminated in rounds
Elimination until a winner is found.
Every candidate is compared head-to-head with each other
Pairwise Comparison
candidate.
Example Problem
Example (Voting):
Suppose an election is held to determine who will be the representative of the class in
a competition. Three students, A, B, and C are eligible to represent the class. There
are 20 voters, each voter is asked to cast their vote by marking their first second and
third place choices.
Number of 2 3 3 4 6 2
voters
1st choice A A B B C C
2nd choice B C A C A B
3rd choice C B C A B A
1. Plurality Method (Most 1st-place votes)
Count only the 1st-place votes:
A: 2 + 3 = 5
B: 3 + 4 = 7
C: 6 + 2 = 8
✅ Winner: C
2. Borda Count
Assign points:
1st = 2 points
2nd = 1 point
3rd = 0 points
Multiply by the number of voters in each group:
Grou A B C
p Points Points Points
2×2 = 1×2 = 0×2 =
2
4 2 0
2×3 = 0×3 = 1×3 =
3
6 0 3
1×3 = 2×3 = 0×3 =
3
3 6 0
0×4 = 2×4 = 1×4 =
4
0 8 4
1×6 = 0×6 = 2×6 =
6
6 0 12
0×2 = 1×2 = 2×2 =
2
0 2 4
Total Borda Points:
A = 4 + 6 + 3 + 0 + 6 + 0 = 19
B = 2 + 0 + 6 + 8 + 0 + 2 = 18
C = 0 + 3 + 0 + 4 + 12 + 4 = 23
✅ Winner: C
3. Plurality with Elimination (Instant Runoff Voting)
Round 1 – Count 1st-place votes:
A: 5
B: 7
C: 8
🔻 Eliminate A (lowest 1st-place votes)
Redistribute A’s 5 votes (from groups with A as 1st choice):
Group 1 (2 voters): A > B > C → Now goes to B
Group 2 (3 voters): A > C > B → Now goes to C
Updated totals:
B: 7 + 2 = 9
C: 8 + 3 = 11
✅ Winner: C
4. Pairwise Comparison
Compare each pair of candidates directly.
A vs B:
A > B: Groups 1 (2), 2 (3), 5 (6) = 2 + 3 + 6 = 11
B > A: Groups 3 (3), 4 (4), 6 (2) = 3 + 4 + 2 = 9
✅ A wins over B
A vs C:
A > C: Groups 1 (2), 2 (3), 3 (3) = 2 + 3 + 3 = 8
C > A: Groups 4 (4), 5 (6), 6 (2) = 4 + 6 + 2 = 12
✅ C wins over A
B vs C:
B > C: Groups 1 (2), 3 (3), 4 (4) = 2 + 3 + 4 = 9
C > B: Groups 2 (3), 5 (6), 6 (2) = 3 + 6 + 2 = 11
✅ C wins over B
Pairwise Wins:
A: 1 (vs B)
B: 0
C: 2 (vs A and B)
✅ Winner: C
IV. Practice Exercises (5 Items)
Compute apportionments or determine voting results:
1. Suppose that a small district will choose representative from three
barangays, Martinez, Santa Justa, and Poblacion. The mayor wants to
apportion the 100 representatives to the three barangays according to the
population figures as follows: Determine the number of representatives from
the three barangays using the Hamilton Method.
Barangay Population Initial Quota Final Quota
Martinez 3,480
Sta. Justa 46,200
Poblacion 50,560
Total
2. Refer to the election of 4 candidates (A, B, C, D), 100 voters and the
preference schedule given below. Find the winner of the election using all
voting methods.
Number of voters 43 40 17
1st choice A B C
2nd choice C C B
3rd choice D D A
4th choice B A D
V. Quiz (10 Items - Multiple Choice) 5. Borda Count uses:
1. Apportionment involves: o A. First-place votes only
o A. Choosing a winner in an o B. Last-place votes only
election o C. Points based on ranking
o B. Distributing seats or positions
resources o D. Random chance
o C. Calculating interest 6. The process of comparing each
o D. Random sampling candidate against every other
2. Hamilton’s Method assigns candidate in one-on-one contests
remaining seats based on: is:
o A. Smallest remainders o A. Plurality Method
o B. Random selection o B. Borda Count
o C. Largest remainders o C. Plurality with Elimination
o D. Alphabetical order o D. Pairwise Comparison
3. Jefferson’s Method favors: 7. The total number of votes a
o A. Smaller groups candidate receives in all head-to-
o B. Larger groups head comparisons is crucial in:
o C. Equal distribution o A. Borda Count
o D. Random chance o B. Plurality Method
4. In voting, the candidate with the o C. Pairwise Comparison
most first-place votes wins using: o D. Hamilton’s Method
o A. Borda Count 8. Apportionment methods are
o B. Plurality Method commonly used in:
o C. Pairwise Comparison o A. Game shows
o D. Elimination Method o B. Social media surveys
o C. Legislative seat allocation
o D. Lottery draws
9. Adams’ Method tends to favor:
o A. Larger groups
o B. Smaller groups
o C. Equal groups
o D. None of the above
10. Webster’s Method rounds
quotas:
o A. Down only
o B. Up only
o C. To the nearest whole
number
o D. Does not round
Answer Key
(Students
Exercise compute
manually)
Hamilton, Jefferson,
Voting Methods results
Quiz Answer
1 B
2 C
3 B
4 B
5 C
6 D
7 C
8 C
9 B
10 C
