Re: OT: For information only !

Christophe Grandsire wrote:

>
>>
>> It's equivalent to leaving voting instructions as follows:
>>
>>         In the first election, I vote for A.
>>         In the runoff election, if there is one, I vote for B.
>>         In the second runoff election, if there is one, I vote for C.
>>         ...
>
>
> No it's not, because in case of a true run-off election I may be able to
> vote again for A (in case that person's still there). Such a system,
> if it
> really meant what you're saying, cannot account for that. So once
> again, I
> fail to see how such a system can give an absolute majority of first
> position votes, the only thing that ensures the person has really been
> chosen by a majority of people.

Why would you want to change your mind like that?  All that means is
that political changes in the intervening time can effect the vote,
something that(I'd think) would want to be avoided.

It's more like the following, actually:

In the first election, I vote for A.
In the runoff election, I vote for A, or, failing that, B
In the second runoff, I vote for A, failing that, B, and, failing even
that, C

A normal runoff election is not equivalent to a majority of first
position votes.  Those who change their vote(due to their candidate
being knocked out) are, in fact, signifying their second choice.  Or
maybe not even that.  In a runoff where only the top two are chosen, it
could be the fifth choice(among six candidates), and the opposition the
sixth.  What I believe actually happens, is the following. Let us have
an election with five voters(Va, Vb, Vc, Vd, and Ve), and three
candidates(Ca, Cb, and Cc, Cd).

Now, let's say Va votes for Cd, Cb, Ca, Cc, in that order.  Vb for  Ca,
Cd Cc, Cb.  Vc for Cc, Ca, Cb, Cd Vd for Cb, Cc, Ca, Cd  Ve for Cc, Ca,
Cb, Cd.

In AV(the name of the system in question). This means that Cc gets two
votes, Cb one, Cd one, and Ca one(this is the extremely unlikely
absolute tie, but for the purposes of this, Ca came last).This means
that Cd got an extra vote(one).  Now, Cb is knocked out.  Cc also gets
an extra vote.  Cc therefore has an absolute majority, and therefore won.

In a two-person runoff election, however...

Cc and Cb(which got the most votes in the first round) go through to the
runoff.  Those who vote for Cc still vote for him(2), those who voted
for Ca or Cd  switch.  one to Cc, one to Cb. The result is the same,
however   Note, however, that,  Vb would not have voted for  Cc, if he
could have voted for Cd.  Thus, a (two-person) runoff can negate
someones second choice, thus changing the face of the election, if this
had been done on a larger scale.  A multi-person runoff is possibly the
best, democratically speaking, but would make the election rather drawn out.