  an electoral district (also known as a constituency, riding, ward, division, electoral area or electorate) is a distinct territorial subdivision for holding a separate election for one or more seats in a legislative body. generally, only voters who reside within the geographical bounds of an electoral district (constituents) are permitted to vote in an election held there. ==terminology== the names for electoral districts vary across countries and, occasionally, for the office being elected. the term constituency is commonly used to refer to an electoral district; it can also refer to the body of eligible voters within the represented area. similarly, in australia and new zealand, electoral districts are called electorates, however elsewhere the term electorate generally refers specifically to the body of voters. in canada, districts are colloquially called ridings (stemming from an earlier british geographical subdivision). local electoral districts are sometimes called wards, a term which also designates administrative subdivisions of a municipality. in local government in the republic of ireland voting districts are called electoral areas. ==district magnitude== district magnitude is the number of representatives elected from a given district to the same legislative body. a single-member district has one representative, while a multi-member district has more than one. voting systems that seek proportional representation (such as the single transferable vote) inherently require multi-member districts, and the larger the district magnitude the more proportional a system will tend to be (and the greater the number of distinct parties or choices that can be represented.) non-proportional systems may use multi-member districts, as in the unreformed house of commons, singapore's group representation constituency, or the new hampshire house of representatives. under proportional representation systems, district magnitude is an important determinant of the makeup of the elected body. with a larger number of winners candidates are able to represent proportionately smaller minorities; a 10% minority in a given district may secure no seats in a 5 member election but would be guaranteed a seat in a 9 member one because they fulfill a droop quota. the geographic distribution of minorities also affects their representation - an unpopular nationwide minority can still secure a seat if they are concentrated in a particular district. district magnitude can sometimes vary within the same system during an election. in the republic of ireland, for instance, national elections to dÃ¡il Ãireann are held using a combination of 3, 4, and 5 member distri
Constituencies Elections Electoral_systems Types_of_country_subdivisions