I'm pretty sure the party distribution is national for the House (they are still broken down by constituency, but only after the national party distribution).
Right. This is the part I struggle with... just... what? It seems completely nonsensical?
"New regulations for the elections of the doge [of Venice] introduced in 1268 remained in force until the end of the republic in 1797. Their intention was to minimize the influence of individual great families, and this was effected by a complex electoral machinery. Thirty members of the Great Council, chosen by lot, were reduced by lot to nine; the nine chose forty and the forty were reduced by lot to twelve, who chose twenty-five. The twenty-five were reduced by lot to nine, and the nine elected forty-five. These forty-five were once more reduced by lot to eleven, and the eleven finally chose the forty-one who elected the doge."
