What is the primary purpose of cumulative voting?

The primary purpose of cumulative voting is to allow voters to concentrate their votes on a single candidate or distribute them among multiple candidates as they see fit. This voting system is designed to give minority groups a better chance of being represented, as it enables voters to pool their votes in a way that can help achieve proportional representation. By allowing voters to allocate multiple votes, it empowers them to support their preferred candidates more effectively, particularly in elections where there may be more than one seat available or where traditional voting systems may not adequately capture the preferences of diverse groups. This approach fosters greater engagement in the electoral process by giving voters a stronger voice in influencing the outcome, especially in settings where competition is high and outcomes are often dominated by the majority party or group.