voting method: tie-breaking in IRV:

[LAYTON Craig]

>     A proportional type election is when each proportional part of the
>voters selects one room name.  For example: if you have five conference
>rooms and fifteen voters, it would only take three votes for a name to be a
>winner.  This is called STV, which I assume you already know.
>     I would say that your election of room names should be a majority type
>election, because all the rooms are to represent all the people.
>     Besides, otherwise three voters might just give a silly name to one of
>your conference rooms.

No, this is incorrect, and is the same type of flawed reasoning that is
always used against proportional representation, no matter what you're
voting on.  Say eight out of the fifteen voters want to name all of the
rooms after 19th Century millionares, and the other six want to name all of
the rooms after civil rights leaders.  What is the most democratic outcome?
By requiring a "majority" to name each room, you ignore the fact that it
continues to be the same majority, while the large 40% minority get no say
on anything whatsoever (except which C19th millionares are going to be
picked - not much of a choice, really). 

Craig