Part 6/9:
The number of seats allocated to each party is determined by the proportion of second votes they receive. A party that surpasses a 5% threshold of total valid second votes gains representation in the Bundestag. Alternatively, a party can qualify for seats if it wins at least three districts, even if its second vote percentage is below this threshold.
To illustrate how this allocation functions, consider the following procedure:
The total number of valid second votes across Germany—typically around 46 million—is counted.
Parties that do not meet the 5% threshold or fail to win three districts are disqualified from representation.