Evidence from local elections in Norway suggests that preferential voting is detrimental to the electoral fortunes of female candidates (Hellevik and Bergh 2005; Hellevik and Skard 1985). Minorities on the other hand, have for the most part benefited from preferential voting (Bergh and Bjørklund 2009). Thus it seems like Parliamentarians are faced with the awkward choice of selecting an electoral system that favor either women or minorities.
This paper takes a closer look at the experiences at the local level in Norway. Why does preferential voting have opposite effects on the political representation on two groups that are generally underrepresented? We look at both the electoral system itself, and at voter behavior.
Our initial results suggest, first, that the preferential voting system used for local elections in Norway is highly sensitive to organized voter behavior. When minorities consistently support candidates of their own ethnic background, those efforts tend to bear fruit. Women candidates get almost as many preferential votes as men, but there is a small difference in men’s favor. This small difference has substantial consequences on actual representation.
