[EM] Usefulness of lower rankings

[Anthony Simmons]

>> From: Tom Ruen
>> Subject: Re: [EM] Bad Condorcet winners?

>> 1. IRV is less demanding because it never uses
>> lower rankings on a ballot until all higher
>> candidates are eliminated. Therefore voters
>> don't have to think very hard about lower
>> choices. However when an election is a close
>> 3-way contest, there is the dilemma on whether
>> to compromise first to be safe against a
>> strong scary candidate.

I'm wondering if this really reflects the whole
nature of the election.  From what I've heard of
the just-completed Ryan by-election (Queensland,
Australia), a significant component of the
electorate didn't vote for someone so much as
voted against John Howard (he wasn't running, but
his party was), even to the extent of some voters
writing "You're next Howard" on the ballot.

So, what I'm thinking is that some voters could
care more about putting the Libs candidate last
than putting a particular candidate first, to
make sure the Libs lose.  Voting primarily to
keep someone out of office sounds like a
legitimate objective to me.