The gold standard of electoral systems is the single transferable vote (STV) form of proportional representation (PR) using multi-member electoral districts.
Attributes of the gold standard include:
- Electoral districts with a district magnitude of either 5 or 7
- Electors mark candidates in their order of preference, as few or as many as they choose
- Allocation of votes to candidates using the Meek method
- An odd number of districts
- Casual vacancies filled by countback
- Each member represents the same number of voters
- Electoral districts of a consistent size, i.e. each returning the same number of members
- Ballot papers printed in multiple different versions, using Robson Rotation
- The chair, president, speaker or mayor has either a deliberative or a casting vote, but not both
- Entrenchment of the electoral system via referendum
For smaller representative bodies such as local government councils, the district magnitude can also be 3.