Voting Methods
Chapter One
- Plurality Method
-
The candidate with the most first place votes wins.
- Plurality with a Runoff
-
The first place votes for each candidate are counted. If a candidate
has a majority of first place votes, then that candidate is declared
the winner. Otherwise, a second election is held with a designated
number of the top candidates. The first place votes are recounted.
Again, if a candidate has a majority of first place votes, then that
candidate is declared the winner. If there is still no candidate
possessing a majority of first place votes, then the process is
repeated until there is a candidate with a majority of first place
votes.
- Borda's Method
-
Voters rank the entire list of candidates in order of preference from
their first choice to their last choice. Each place on a ballot is
assigned a point value. In an election with N candidates, 1 point is
given for last place, 2 points are given for next to last place,
. . . , and N points are given for first place. The points are
tallied for each candidate separately, and the candidate with the
highest total is the winner.
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
-
Every candidate is matched one-on-one with every other candidate. In
a head-to-head comparison between candidates X and Y, each vote is
assigned to either X or Y - whichever of the two candidates is higher
on the ballot. The winner of the head-to-head comparison is the one
with the most votes. The Condorcet winner of the election is the
candidate who is the winner of a head-to-head comparison with every
other candidate.
- Approval Voting
-
Each voter is allowed to give one vote to as many of the candidates as
he or she finds acceptable. The candidate with the highest number of
approval votes is declared to be the winner.
From a handout provided by Scotty Thompson.
Website maintained by Andy Long.
Comments appreciated.