The Distribution of Knesset Seats Among the Lists

Lexicon of Terms

Results of Knesset Elections

The Distribution of Knesset Seats Among the Lists – the Bader-Offer Method

Following elections to the Knesset, the lists of candidates that passed the qualifying threshold receive a number of Knesset seats which is propotional to their electoral strength. This distribution is done by the division of valid votes given to the lists which passed the qualifying threshold, by 120, in order to determine how many votes entitle a list to a single seat. In the elections to the Second through the Seventh Knessets, the excess votes (the votes received by a list which passed the qualifying threshold, but are not sufficient for a whole seat) were distributed to those lists which had the largest number of excess votes (the Hare method). In the elections to the First Knesset, and since the elections to the Eighth Knesset, the excess votes are distributed to the lists with the largest number of voters per seat - a method known in the world as Hagenbach-Bischoff (de-Hondt), and is known in Israel as the Bader-Ofer method - named after MKs Yohanan Bader (Gahal) and Avraham Ofer (Alignment) who proposed its adoption. Two lists can reach an agreement regarding the distribution of excess votes between them before the elections.
The procedure for distributing the Knesset seats following elections can be summarized in the following manner:

Totaling the valid votes for those lists that passed the qualifying threshold.
Setting the number of votes relating to the qualifying threshold (2% of the valid votes). This will determine the identity of the parliamentary groups in the new Knesset.
Determining the number of valid votes given solely to the lists which passed the qualifying threshold.
Distribution of seats:

Determining the general indicator for each Knesset seat by dividing the number of the valid votes given to the qualifying lists by 120.
Establishing the number of seats given to each qualifying list by dividing the number of its votes with the general indicator. The result of this division (in whole numbers) determines the number of seats for each list. However, the total number of seats usually amounts to a number less than 120. The seats left for distribution is distributed first among pairs of lists that signed surplus vote agreements prior to elections. After determining which list-pairs receive additional seats, then which lists within the pairs will receive each additional seat will be calculated.
Distribution of surplus votes is resolved by dividing the total number of valid votes given to both lists within the pairs that made such an agreement, by the number of seats given to both lists (basically the pair is viewed as one list for this purpose), plus 1. The reason for adding 1 is for determining what the indicator would be if the pair would receive that additional seat. The pair of lists with the highest indicator receives the surplus seat. The indicator for additional seats will be calculated based on the new distribution (i.e. plus 2 for the list that already received a seat, and so on). These calculations are continued in this way until all surplus seats are distributed.

Number of votes for the list = List indicator

Number of seats given in the first distribution + 1
The same calculation is then applied to each list within each pair. The list that ends up with the higher list indicator is that list within the pair that will receive the surplus seat.

Example: Division of mandates in the elections to the 16th Knesset (2003)

Number of eligible voters: 4,720,075
Number of voters: 3,200,773
Number of valid votes: 3,148,364
Number of valid votes given to lists within the qualifying threshold: 3,016,624
General indicator: 25,138 (3,016,624/120)

List	No. of valid votes	Simple calculation	Bader-Offer method
Likud	925,279	36	38
Labor	455,183	18	19
Shinui	386,535	15	15
Shas	258,879	10	11
Ichud Leumi-Yisrael Beiteinu	173,973	6	7
Meretz	164,122	6	6
United Torah Judaism	135,087	5	5
National Religious Party	132,370	5	6
Hadash	93,819	3	3
Am Ehad	86,808	3	3
Balad	71,299	2	3
Yisrael BeAliyah	67,719	2	2
United Arab List	65,551	2	2