This dataset contains the original final vote tally from 2013 Cambridge City Council election. The City Council comprises nine members and is the Cambridge's lawmaking body.

Proportional Representation (PR) is the method by which voters in Cambridge elect members of the City Council and School Committee. In a PR election you may vote for as many of the candidates listed on the ballot as you wish, but you must rank the candidates in order of preference. This ensures minority representation with majority control.

The vote count begins with the sorting of ballots by the first preference shown on each valid ballot. That is the NUMBER 1 vote on each ballot. This is generally known as the "First Count". Any candidates who reach the necessary quota with Number 1 votes are declared elected. During the 2013 City Council Election, the quota was 1,775 votes. Any extra ballots they receive beyond the quota are redistributed to the candidates marked next in preference (the number 2 preference) on those excess ballots. The count continues with the elimination of those candidates receiving fewer than fifty votes in the first count. Their ballots are redistributed to the other candidates according to the next preference marked. After each distribution, the candidate now having the lowest number of votes is eliminated and his/her ballots redistributed to the next indicated preference (number 2,3,4 etc.) As candidates reach the quota through the addition of redistributed ballots to their totals, they are declared elected and no further ballots are transferred to them. This process continues until all candidates have been eliminated except the nine winners for City Council.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.cambridgema.gov/election/programsandservices/cambridgemunicipalelections

The dataset contains vote results for all City Council agenda items in which a roll call vote was taken, starting in January of 2016 and ending in December of 2017.

The Cambridge City Council uses two different voting methods: voice votes and roll call votes. During a voice vote, all those in favor of a motion verbally vote “yes” simultaneously, and then all those opposed vote “no” simultaneously. During a roll call vote, each Councilor votes “yes” or “no” in turn. Voice votes are more common and are not recorded in this dataset. The Council tends to rely on roll call votes for City Manager’s agenda items related to fiscal and budgetary topics (e.g., how much money to allocate to a department or program). Please read the limitations section of this metadata form to avoid misinterpretations of the data.

To learn more about Council meeting operations, please refer to the Rules of the City Council: http://www.cambridgema.gov/~/media/Files/citycouncil/20162017rulesofthecitycouncil.ashx

To learn more about the parliamentary voting procedures generally, please refer to Robert’s Rules of Order:
http://www.rulesonline.com/rror-08.htm