[EM] Approval Voting vs Instant Runoff Voting

[MIKE OSSIPOFF]

Craig wrote:

>Mike wrote:
>
> >In Approval, people will vote only for their favorite if they think
> >they don't need their 2nd choice, because their favorite has a win.
> >Actually many who now voted only for Nader, because that was the only
> >way to express support for him, would vote for Nader & Gore in Approval.
> >So fewer, not more, people would vote only for their favorite.
>
>Hold on.  You only recently finished telling us that Nader could win, if
>only you had a different electoral system.  So, which is it?

It's both. Some others disagree with me on this, but it's difficult
to find someone who voted for Gore, and who believes that Gore is as
good as Nader. That suggests to me that Nader is favorite to more
people than Gore is. If correct, this is masked by Plurality, but it
would be shown by an Approval votecount. But I didn't say that Nader
would have won in November in Approval. If Nader is favorite to more
than Gore is, then Nader would outpoll Bush if Gore outpolls Bush. Then
Nader should win in a subsequent election.

That doesn't contradict my statement that some who voted only for
Nader did so because it was the only way to show support for him.
I'm talking about people who (mistakenly?) believe that they need Gore
to beat Bush. Some of them refused to vote for Gore so they could
show support for Nader. Some of those would vote for both in Approval,
since they can show Nader support while helping Gore.

More later (maybe tomorrow),
Mike Ossipoff




>
> >by voting someone else over him. IRVies say you can safely rank your
> >favorite 1st. They forget to mention that that's only true if your
> >favorite is a sure loser.
>
>To a certain extent, it's also true of a favourite & compromise vote in
>Approval.  It only works if your favourite is a probable loser.  If your
>favourite is neck and neck with a less favoured, but not the worst, popular
>candidate, it's almost impossible to work out how to vote.  The consequence
>is that everyone uses their vote in different ways, and the result is
>largely random.  See my example of opinion poll ratings & expected utility
>outcomes and try to decide how to cast your Approval vote.
>
> >In IRV, a CW can be favorite of more people than any other candidate is,
> >and still lose. That's a very plausible IRV scenario, and is likely
>
>As demonstrated, this can also happen in Approval.  The fact that it is
>somewhat less likely isn't particularly comforting.
>
> >Not reassuring when your crucial 2nd choice compromise isn't there
> >anymore because he got eliminated while your single traveling vote
> >was on your favorite. Your vote will not be dropped? Your preference
> >for Middle over Worst won't get counted. At least Approval reliably
> >counts every preference that you vote.
>
>This is only true because you're forced in such a situation by Approval to
>only express one preference - either favourite over middle or middle over
>worst.  IRV counts one of these preferences, Approval counts one of these
>preferences.  I don't see how you can say one is worse than the other in
>this regard.
>

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