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| OpenSTV | |
|---|---|
| Name | OpenSTV |
| Developer | Public Software Development Community |
| Released | 2001 |
| Programming language | C++ |
| Operating system | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| License | GNU General Public License |
OpenSTV is an open-source software package for conducting and analysing elections using preferential voting systems. It provides tools for Single Transferable Vote counting, proportional representation analysis, and ballot simulation for electoral administrators, political scientists, and civic organizations. The project emphasizes transparency, reproducibility, and compatibility with a range of electoral procedures used internationally.
OpenSTV originated in the early 2000s amid renewed interest in electoral reform sparked by debates in countries such as United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and Canada. Influences on the project included the computational needs identified by scholars at University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Australian National University, University of Auckland, and Harvard University who studied preferential voting and proportional representation. Early contributors referenced implementations used in historic contests like the 1921 Swedish general election and contemporary reforms such as the 1996 New Zealand electoral reform referendum. The codebase matured alongside similar projects led by communities around GNU Project, Free Software Foundation, and enthusiasts associated with Electoral Reform Society and FairVote. Over time, development responded to practical experiences from electoral events including contests in Tasmania, Scotland, Ireland (Republic of Ireland), and municipal elections in Canada.
OpenSTV is written primarily in C++ and runs on Microsoft Windows, macOS, and various Linux distributions. It offers a graphical user interface inspired by desktop projects such as GNOME and KDE as well as command-line tools familiar to users of BSD systems. Features include ballot import/export compatible with formats used by organizations like United Nations electoral assistance missions and data analysis comparable to outputs from R (programming language) and Python (programming language) libraries. The application supports audit trails, deterministic recounts, and compatibility with reporting standards used by institutions such as Electoral Commission (United Kingdom), Australian Electoral Commission, and local election offices in California and Victoria (Australia). Integration options allow interoperability with spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel, database systems such as MySQL, and version control systems including Git.
OpenSTV implements a suite of preferential and proportional methods used globally, reflecting procedures seen in jurisdictions such as Ireland (Republic of Ireland), Malta, Northern Ireland, and various Australian states. Implemented methods include the Droop quota and Hare quota mechanisms used in historical contests like the 1918 United Kingdom general election recount analyses, Meek's method referenced in technical work from University of Melbourne, and Gregory surplus transfer adaptations studied at University College London. The software can simulate and count ballots under systems analogous to those used in the Single Transferable Vote practices of Tasmania and Victoria (Australia), as well as preferential instant-runoff rules adopted in United States mayoral and party primaries. Advanced options model tie-breaking procedures adjudicated by bodies such as High Court of Australia and adjudications similar to rulings from the Supreme Court of Canada.
OpenSTV has been employed by academics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Princeton University, and University of California, Berkeley for research into voting paradoxes and proportionality metrics. Civic groups, think tanks, and NGOs such as Electoral Reform Society, FairVote, and independent municipal election offices in Belfast, Hobart, and Vancouver have used it to validate counts and run mock elections. The software’s outputs have been compared with official counts from authorities including Electoral Commission (Northern Ireland), New South Wales Electoral Commission, and election observers from Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Educational deployments have appeared at institutions like London School of Economics, Yale University, and University of Toronto for classroom demonstrations of alternative voting systems.
Development has been coordinated through distributed version control and discussion platforms frequented by contributors from Free Software Foundation Europe, independent developers previously affiliated with Red Hat, and electoral system experts from organizations such as ACE Electoral Knowledge Network. Contributors have included researchers with backgrounds at University of Edinburgh, University of Sydney, and University of Oxford political science departments. Community activities include workshops at conferences like Electoral Reform International Services events, presentations at academic gatherings such as the International Political Science Association congress, and code sprints similar to gatherings organized by Debian and GNOME Foundation.
Critics have raised concerns about the interpretability of implementation choices when compared with official proprietary counting software used by electoral bodies including Australian Electoral Commission and municipal vendors in United States. Debates in forums involving participants from Harvard Kennedy School, London School of Economics, and NGOs such as International IDEA discussed edge cases in tie-breaking and rounding that echo legal disputes seen before courts like the High Court of Australia and Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. Some election administrators questioned certification and audit procedures analogous to controversies around standardized voting machines in Ohio and discussions of transparency that also involved activists from Amnesty International and Transparency International.
Category:Voting systems software