[EM] Points Voting Method

[DEMOREP1 at aol.com]

Points Voting Method
by DEMOREP1 at aol.com 13 Mar 1996

To repeat an earlier posting, a voter absolutely rates each candidate from
100 percent (total approval) to minus 100 percent (total disapproval). Plain
rank voting (0, 1, 2, etc.) only shows relative approval of candidates.

The two preceding can be merged in a Points Voting Method (PVM) as follows to
let the voters vote both absolute ratings and relative rankings.

The voter would assign point values. The voters would need to be educated to
vote declining numbers of points for each lower ranked candidate.

Example
           Points
A           7
B           8
C           0
D           9
E           6

The maximum points can be any number. If not using 10 points as a maximum (as
in the example), then 100 points as a maximum could be used.

Zero points would mean that the voter does not want such candidate to be
elected (i.e. such candidate is in the 0 to minus 100 percentage disapproval
range).

A computer would make the 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 relative rankings to be D, B, A, E
and C (noting the possibilities of ties if a voter gives two or more
candidates an equal number of points). The plain Condorcet method would
compare each pair of candidates. 

Using points would give the candidates and the public some idea of the amount
of absolute support for each candidate.

Question- Should majority "absolute" support be a standard for electing a
single winner ? If yes, then not many candidates may be elected. If no, then
many candidates may get elected with an average absolute support in the 30-50
percentage approval range (a very rough average of getting some voters in the
50-100 percentage range offset by more other voters in the 0 to 50 percentage
range). 

Since (a) a voter either wants a candidate or does not want a candidate to be
elected and (b) within either of such two groups there is probably not too
much difference between candidates (around 100 to 60 percentage for higher
ranked candidates, around 60 to 0 percentage for low ranked candidates and 0
for disapproved candidates). Thus, should the maximum points be reduced to
around 5 (i.e. each point being a 20 percent range)?

The use of points modifies the Multiple Same Choices (MSC) voting method.

Note- The above also applies to voting for candidates in P.R. elections.

Note- The above form of absolute points cannot be used to determine single
winners.
Example- One voter votes 80 points for candidate W and 0 points for X. Each
of five voters votes 16 points for candidate X and 0 points for W. Both W and
X get 80 points. However, X beats W 5 to 1 in a Condorcet pair comparison.