ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the single transferable vote (STV) election in Northern Ireland (NI) along with the Republic of Ireland (RoI) elections in a single model and among other things uses the model to look for differences in the locality effect between NI and the Republic. The distance category which operationalises the locality effect has significant interactions with the election category and with the urban/rural category in the model. The aim of the electoral system is to achieve proportional representation via multi-seat electoral constituencies, allowing voters to mark candidates in order of preference. It examines associations between transfers and locality as considered separately from NI's sectarian-based locality effects, in our comparison with RoI. The chapter explores that the locality effect as generally understood operates in urban constituencies only for near neighbours of the transferring candidate. Local loyalty and candidate bailiwicks, and even vote management and candidate selection, it is argued in their turn reinforce the strength of the locality effect.
