Methods of elimination in quota preferential STV

[LAYTON Craig]

I have to be in total agreement with Demorep.  This is the best system I've
encountered (I'm glad you took out the YES/NOs that you had in it last
week).

Craig

-----Original Message-----
From: DEMOREP1 at aol.com [mailto:DEMOREP1 at aol.com]
Sent: Saturday, 7 October 2000 10:30
To: election-methods-list at eskimo.com
Subject: Re: Methods of elimination in quota preferential STV


Mr. Cretney wrote in part-

Voters simply vote for multiple candidates, as they would with approval
voting, except that each choice gets an equal fraction of the vote (e.g.
if you vote for five candidates, each gets 1/5 of your vote).  You then
eliminate the weakest candidate and recount, so that the remaining
candidates get a larger share (if one candidate was eliminated from your
ballot, the remaining candidates now each get 1/4 of a vote).  Continue
eliminating candidates in the same fashion until the required number
remain.
----
D- As with Approval Voting with single winners, the A=B=C notion is false in

most cases.

However, it is simple (but probably requiring computerized elections due to 
the fractions).

A possible minor problem with the end result-

3 member legislative body

winners and their votes

A       B       C

N1     N1     N1  (1/3 votes)
N2     N2           (1/2 votes)
         N3     N3  (1/2 votes)
N4              N4  (1/2 votes)
N5                     (1 vote)
        N6             (1 vote)
                  N7   (1 vote)

Would each winner have a voting power in the legislative body equal to the 
votes he/she receives ???

The above minor complexity is why I suggest simple IRV (with full 1 vote 
transfers) for proxy p.r. elections-

(a) An Elector may vote for legislative body candidates on the ballots (plus

1 write-in vote) by voting "1", "2" and so forth for his/her first, second 
and so forth choices.
(b) N shall be the number of members being elected in a district or at
large.
(c) If there are N or less candidates, then they shall be elected. 
(d) If there are more than N candidates (or remaining candidates), then the 
candidate having the lowest number of votes shall lose.
(e) Each vote for a losing candidate shall transfer to the Elector's next 
choice who is a remaining candidate (if any).
(f) The 2 prior steps shall be repeated until N candidates remain who shall 
be elected.
(g) A lottery shall be held if tie votes occur in any step.
(h) Each member (or his/her vacancy replacement) shall have a voting power
in 
the legislative body and its committees, in person or by written proxy,
equal 
to the number of first choice plus transfer votes that he/she finally 
receives.
(i) Example- 5 to be elected
                         VP
C1  21      = 21 +  1  = 22
C2  20      = 20 +  5  = 25
C3  15      = 15 +  3  = 18
C4  12 + 5  = 17       = 17
C5  12 + 1  = 13 - 13  =  0
C6  11 + 3  = 14 +  2  = 16
C7   9 - 9  =  0       =  0
VNT  0      =  0 +  2  =  2
---------------------------
T  100       100        100
   C7 Loses    C5 Loses
C = Candidate, VNT= Votes not transferred, T = Total, VP = Voting Power

The lack of p.r. in U.S.A. legislative bodies (i.e. indirect Democracy)
(with 
the exception of Cambridge, Mass.) is a major reason why there has been the 
very dangerous monarchial buildup of chief executive officers in the U.S.A. 
(Presidents, State governors, mayors, etc.) since 1960 (i.e. the Kennedy- 
Nixon TV debates).