[EM] Making the Party List Selection more Democratic

[Donald E Davison]

Greetings List,

Markus Schulze wrote:
     "I don't understand what you mean with "party candidates" and "independent
candidates" when we talk about how list positions should be filled. Do you
mean that everybody should have to pay a fee and to collect signatures before
he gets the right to run for a list position? How would this make the
nominations more democratic?  Markus Schulze"

Dear markus Schulze,

     I agreed that the party list order of nominations should be more
democratic.
     I was merely being polite when I held back and waited for you to
present your solution first on how to make the list selections more
democratic. (age before beauty)

     While we were waiting, I decide to enlarge the discussion to include
government rules for nominations, but since you are asking about making the
party list more democratic, the following is my suggestion.

     If a party wishes to make their selection democratic it should hold a
vote using ranked ballots. Every dues paying, card carrying member of the
party should receive one of these ballots. A small party could hold the
vote in a hall. A large party may find the mail a better way.

     The election method to be used on the ballots is to be STV.
     The quota is to be equal to 150 percent of the average vote per candidate.
     Example: 8000 voters and 20 candidates would have a quota of 600.

     The candidates will get divided into three groups.
     The first group will be the candidates that received a quota or more
on the first count. These candidates are to be arranged in an order
according to the highest number of votes first.
     The second group will be the candidates that reach quota during the
math of STV. These candidates are to be arranged in the same order as they
reached quota - first is to be first of this group.
     The third group are the candidates that do not reach quota. These
candidates are to be arranged in order of the highest number of votes each
received during the math of STV.
     These three groups together, in the order of 1-2-3, will be the order
of the party list.

     While this is a good way for a party to arrange its list, this way is
subject to the possible flaw of cross party voting.
     If we wish to eliminate the possibility of cross party voting we need
a system that conducts the list selection as part of the general election,
but that is another discussion.
     I am willing to go there if you wish.

     Do you have a solution on how to make the order of the party list more
democratic??

Regards,
Donald

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 T H E   C O D E   O F   H O N O R   F O R   R E F O R M   A C T I V I S T S

     Any group of reform activists that are thinking about a petition drive
to place a proposal on the ballot are to present their proposal beforehand
to all other reform activists that they know of. The time for debate and
negative comments is before the petition stage. Once the group makes its
final proposal and enters the petition stage, the debates and negative
comments by all reform activists is to cease.
    At this time each activist is to make an honest evaluation. If the
initiative will improve government then each activist is to find it in his
heart to support the initiative, even if it is not exactly what the
activist would like.

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   |                         Q U O T A T I O N                         |
   |  "Democracy is a beautiful thing,                                 |
   |       except that part about letting just any old yokel vote."    |
   |                            - Age 10                               |
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