[EM] Ballot Instructions

[Bart Ingles]

Buddha Buck wrote:
> 
> One thing I haven't seen here is any discussion of ballot
> instructions.  I'm curious as to how people would recommend the ballot
> instructions for the various election methods be written.
> 
> For some methods, I can see pretty clear ways to write the ballot
> instructions; Plurality: Select the candidate you wish to be
> elected.  IRV/Condorcet/other ranking methods: Order the candidates in your
> order of preference.  Various rating methods: Rate each candidate on a
> scale of ...
> 
> I can't see clear wording to use for approval.  Something like "Select all
> the candidates that..." you approve of?  are acceptable? are
> qualified?  All three of those choices could result in different votes from
> me (a candidate may be acceptable, even if I wouldn't truely approve of
> him, and a candidate may be qualified for a position, but who's positions
> are antithetical to mine, etc).
> 
> Has much thought been given to ballot instructions?


How about "Vote for one or more"?  I think anything beyond that could be
considered "strategy tips", which belong somewhere other than the actual
ballot.

Ballot instructions for approval voting might resemble the actual laws
implementing the method.  Here are some examples from the bylaws of some
of the organizations currently using approval voting:

American Statistical Association
   See Article III (VOTING), Section 2 (Balloting):
   http://www.amstat.org/about/bylaws.htm

Mathematical Association of America
   See Article IV,  Section 2(b):
   http://www.maa.org/aboutmaa/bylaws00.html

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
   See IEEE Bylaws, I-310. Nominations and Elections, last three
   sentences of section 13:
   http://www.ieee.org/about/whatis/bylaws/i-310.html