by Jack Santucci
Notes on preferential voting in America, emphasizing developments from about 1990 to present.
Outcomes used to offset the headache.
One possible bug in ranked-choice voting is the duration of a vote count. This is especially true in the proportional representation (PR) form, since ballots may move around a lot more than in “instant-runoff voting.” Many used to suggest that painful vote counts were a cause of PR’s repeal. This claim resurfaced yesterday in a private exchange about Al Southwick’s piece on PR in Worcester, Mass. Southwick writes:
The United States is unique among democracies for the durability of its two-party system. Why in this context does electoral “reform” ever succeed?
Continue reading “Dynamics of voting-system change in America, part 1”
Maine voters will decide in November whether to use the alternative vote (AV) for single-winner elections. AV lets voters rank candidates. If no candidate has an outright majority, voters’ lower rankings come into play. Many now call this “single-winner ranked choice voting.” Why does AV have traction? If it wins, how long can we expect it to last?
Continue reading “Partisan dynamics behind ranked choice voting”