Strategic Voting under Proportional Representation: The Case of Norway

There are few studies of strategic voting in PR elections. What types of strategic voting occur? How common is it for voters to cast their ballot for a party list other than that of their first preference? Does strategic voting affect legislative majorities and – eventually – government formation even if legislative seats are allocated by a proportional electoral formula in multi-member districts? We answer these questions based on data from the Norwegian general election in 2013. Our estimate indicates that a little less than ten percent of the voters voted strategically.