Victor D'Hondt

Victor Joseph Auguste D'Hondt (Dutch: [ˈvɪktɔr ˈtɔnt]; 20 November 1841 – 30 May 1901) was a Belgian <a href="/facts/Lawyer/SETgVQHu">lawyer</a> and <a href="/facts/Jurist/XHou4sAV">jurist</a> of civil law at <a href="/facts/Ghent_University/dcmAef7x">Ghent University</a>. He devised a procedure, the <a href="/facts/D%2527Hondt_method/ThTfmXqv">D'Hondt method</a>, which he first described in 1878, for allocating seats to candidates in <a href="/facts/Party-list_proportional_representation/jFyWurXx">party-list proportional representation</a> elections. The method has been adopted by a number of countries, including <a href="/facts/Albania/8GP40BUD">Albania</a>, <a href="/facts/Argentina/aFSA5bAk">Argentina</a>, <a href="/facts/Armenia/t3GQx9sU">Armenia</a>, <a href="/facts/Austria/4qWIMIyc">Austria</a>, <a href="/facts/Belgium/YKuMXP5j">Belgium</a>, <a href="/facts/Bulgaria/Er5pY3YS">Bulgaria</a>, <a href="/facts/Chile/uEyTfEcx">Chile</a>, <a href="/facts/Colombia/nl7r8Q2u">Colombia</a>, <a href="/facts/Croatia/MSS0yyvw">Croatia</a>, <a href="/facts/Czech_Republic/vJYLD66Q">Czech Republic</a>, <a href="/facts/Denmark/KVtykzsw">Denmark</a>, <a href="/facts/Ecuador/Tdv7czY4">Ecuador</a>, <a href="/facts/Fiji/JU8Hs8WH">Fiji</a>, <a href="/facts/Finland/G5Ak6T91">Finland</a>, <a href="/facts/Israel/dEe3IcaY">Israel</a>, <a href="/facts/Japan/U5mz0SRT">Japan</a>, <a href="/facts/North_Macedonia/YpfcC5DA">North Macedonia</a>, the <a href="/facts/Netherlands/y8xn5stT">Netherlands</a>, <a href="/facts/Northern_Ireland/Jmr0NRyl">Northern Ireland</a>, <a href="/facts/Paraguay/sbzfv4Rl">Paraguay</a>, <a href="/facts/Poland/eXJ7fd0D">Poland</a>, <a href="/facts/Portugal/lYzwDQ63">Portugal</a>, <a href="/facts/Scotland/VGwbbxB2">Scotland</a>, <a href="/facts/Slovenia/EcYU22W4">Slovenia</a>, <a href="/facts/Serbia/U0LVzPdI">Serbia</a>, <a href="/facts/Spain/bIyrB8EY">Spain</a>, <a href="/facts/Switzerland/LcGuxeTe">Switzerland</a>, <a href="/facts/Turkey/KIYAWAs0">Turkey</a>, <a href="/facts/Iceland/E4KGYs2j">Iceland</a>, <a href="/facts/Uruguay/X6V0apCb">Uruguay</a> and <a href="/facts/Wales/xa3W6PHH">Wales</a>. A modified D'Hondt system is used for elections to the <a href="/facts/London_Assembly/cXtxI573">London Assembly</a> and the <a href="/facts/Scottish_Parliament/IpB09xer">Scottish Parliament</a>.
Victor D’Hondt was an influential proponent of proportional representation in Belgium. He published several articles on <a href="/facts/Proportional_representation/69pRhsx9">proportional representation</a> and was founding member of the Association Réformiste Belge pour l'Adoption de la Representation Proportionnelle in 1881. From 1885 he served as professor of civil and fiscal law at the <a href="/facts/Ghent_University/dcmAef7x">University of Ghent</a>. In 1896 he was awarded the title Officer in the <a href="/facts/Order_of_Leopold_(Belgium)/46wkGvGY">Belgian Order of Leopold</a>.

Victor D'Hondt open-in-new

Victor D'Hondt