Vote allocation or vote management is a type of strategic voting most common in countries with semi-proportional representation systems like the single non-transferable vote as well as malapportioned forms of proportional representation based on small districts (such as those often used together with the single transferable vote).

In this system, voters were asked to vote for a party candidate based on items such as their day of birthday so as to evenly distribute votes. In districts where a party was running two candidates, males were sometimes asked to vote for one candidate and females for another to ensure even distribution.

This system was also practiced in Japan and South Korea, where the SNTV system was used.

Hong Kong political parties started to adopt this strategy after 2000 to overcome the effect of the largest remainder system with Hare quota combined with small constituencies (5- to 8-member in 2008).

Two vote management systems exist in STV. Vote equalisation works for all systems except those that allow group voting (above the line voting). The other method, party designated transfer, only works for systems that allow group voting. A party employing a vote equalisation strategy would attempt to ensure that all its candidates obtain an equal number of first preference votes, in the hope that transfers from candidates of other parties eliminated early in the count will lead to the election of an increased number of its candidates.

For example, in an election for 3 seats, 2 parties (A and C) present two candidates and a third party B presents a single candidate. All party A voters prefer party B to party C. All party C voters prefer party B to party A. All party B voters prefer party C to party A. The following 1000 votes are cast:

The quota is 250. C2 is eliminated first and candidates A1, B and C1 are elected.

If party C distributes its vote equally between its two candidates for example: