Elections in Montenegro are free, with the right of secret ballot guaranteed. Because the country has a single national voting district, all votes cast at individual voting stations across the country went towards a single total. The electoral threshold was 3%, so electoral lists receiving under three percent of the total votes cast were crossed out, and the MPs within the assembly were split amongst the remaining lists. Seats were distributed by the D'Hondt method, which slightly favors leading lists above the smaller ones. The Parliament's mandate lasts four years.