Explaining Condorcet for Single Winner Elections

[DEMOREP1 at aol.com]

Explaining Condorcet for Single Winner Elections
by DEMOREP1 at aol.com
6 April 1996

1. (a) At least ____ days before the election day, each candidate for a
single winner office may make public his/her choices in rank order for such
office.
(b) Any such choices shall be given to each voter when he/she gets the
ballot.
(c) The ballots shall contain a location whereby a voter may choose to agree
to the additional choices of his/her first choice candidate.

2. (a) Each voter may vote his/her choice(s) in numerical rank order- 1 for a
first choice, 2 for a second choice, 3 for a third choice, etc. 
(b) The same choice number may be used more than once.
(c) Any candidate disapproved by the voter shall be given a 0 vote by the
voter.
(d) If a voter votes to use the Step 1(c) additional choice(s), then such
additional choice(s) not duplicating a choice by a voter shall be deemed to
be in rank order after the rank order choice(s) made by the voter.
[Option- (e) Next to the name of each candidate there shall also a location
in which each voter may give a percentage approval ranking to the candidate
(100 highest, 0 lowest).]

3. Any candidate having a 0 vote that is a majority of all the voters shall
lose.

4. For each pair of candidates (or remaining candidates) the ballots which
rank one of the pair higher than the other shall be added up.

5. If one candidate gets more votes in each pairing with each other candidate
(or remaining candidate), then he/she shall be elected as the single winner.

6. (a) If any candidate gets less votes in each pairing with each other
candidate, then he/she shall lose (using a lottery in case of ties).
(b) Each vote for a loser shall be transferred to the next choice who remains
and Steps 4 and 5 shall be repeated.

7. (a) If Steps 4, 5 and 6 do not result in a single winner, then the
candidate with the lowest number of first choice votes (or first choice votes
plus transferred votes) shall lose (using a lottery in case of ties).
(b) Each vote for a loser shall be transferred to the next choice who remains
and Steps 4 and 5 shall be repeated.

8. Steps 4 through 8 shall be repeated until there is a single winner.
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The above tries to get a majority winner among the candidates who survive
Step 3.
Regarding the Step 7 tie breaker- Since each candidate is put head to head
with the other candidates (or remaining candidates) in Step 4 (i.e. has a
chance to win), it would seem a matter of common sense that the candidate
with the lowest number of first choice votes (or first choice votes plus
transferred votes) should lose and that that Steps 4 and 5 should be
repeated.