Minority condition
The minority condition (also minority criterion) is a quality criterion for seat allocation procedures and electoral systems in their overall structure. It states that a party without a share of the votes of at least 50% cannot receive a mandate share of 50% or even an absolute mandate majority. The demand applies only to individual parties. If a coalition of several parties, which have less than 50% of the votes, receives a mandate majority, this does not constitute a violation of the minority condition. Under the usual proportional seat allocation procedure, only the Adams- Procedure the minority condition.
Neither the German Bundestag electoral system nor a Landtag or municipal electoral system fulfills the minority condition, on the one hand due to the seat allocation procedure used, and in the case of Landtag and Bundestag elections also due to threshold clauses and overhang mandates .
In order to avoid the need to form a coalition, it may be advisable to forego the minority condition when allocating seats, or even to meet the majority condition. What is meant by “quality” in the individual case depends on the goals pursued.