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Fri 05 May 2007Proportional ballot: how it worksElections took place for the Scottish parliament, Welsh assembly and 344 councils in England and Scotland.There are also contests for elected mayors in Bedford, Mansfield and Middlesbrough.Voters in the Scottish parliament and Welsh assembly elections used a two-stage proportional representation system. This keeps traditional first-past-the-post constituencies, but also provides for further seats to be filled to "top up" parties who fare disproportionately badly in the winner-takes-all contests.