Applying those criteria

[Mike Ositoff]

David--

As I said, though I hadn't stated it as a criterion, the
1st Choice Criterion, which says that no one should have to
not rank their favorite in 1st place, is, it seems to me,
the main goal of single-winner reform. Considering how many
people listed sincere voting as a most important standard,
I believe that many agree with me on that.

So which methods meet that criterion?

If it means that we should never have defensive strategic reason
to not rank our favorite alone in 1st place, over everything else,
then the criterion is met only by VA (for all pracatical purposes).
Not by any other method. Certainly not by Margins or IRO.

And it's half-met by Approval, since at least one can vote
one's favorite as high as anyone can vote anything--no need
to ever vote anything over your favorite.

***

But if you meant that one never has defensive strategic need to
not vote one's favorite in top position (but not necessarily
alone there), then Approval meets the criterion fully.

***

Either way, by that criterion, VA & Approval are the two
good methods, the only 2 that qualifly at all.

Since I consider that criterion the important thing, that's
why I consider VA & Approval to be the only methods worth
considering.

***

Mike