[EM] 12/19/02 - Ballots from an Approval election:

Donald E Davison donald at mich.com
Thu Dec 19 04:36:38 PST 2002


12/19/02 - Ballots from an Approval election:

Greetings list members,

The great thinker, Tom Ruen, has kindly given me the ballots from an
election he conducted last year.  I share them with you, being as Approval
ballots are hard to come by.

You Condorcet people will not be able to work the ballots as a Condorcet
election because the ballots are not ranked, that's the problem with
Approval.

Please notice in the last chart that forty-four percent of the voters made
two or less choices.

I realize that voting for the `Favorite Month of the Year' is kind of
meaningless, but then, Approval is best for meaningless elections like
beauty contests and selecting the favorite colors for M&Ms.

Donald


  ------------ Forwarded Letter ------------
From: "Tom Ruen" <tomruen at itascacg.com>
Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 15:40:01 -0600
Subject: [IRV-freewheeling] Approval election

Dear Donald,

You said you'd like some approval election data?

I've already done a good example of approval ballots last year - asking
favorite months with 59 voters.

Here's the results in two methods: Approval and split-vote-IRV.

Split-vote-IRV uses approval ballots and pretends they are IRV ballots with
only one ranking, and a vote is equally split among all candidates checked.
As candidates are eliminated, the divisor reduces and votes flow to the top
candidates. It's kind of cool, and avoids the claim of some voters getting
more votes, although bullet voters are more likely to end up as exhausted
ballots without lower rankings.

In this case the two methods perfectly agreed on the order of all 12
months, including ties, which suggests that these two countings MAY always
be identical. It is hard to believe, but I've not checked further to prove
or disprove.

The ballots are included, including your bullet vote for March (2001) when
the election took place.

I also attached a "Ballot frequency" count which is also interesting.

Tom Ruen

********************
Approval
********************

Sep   30 ( 50.85%)
May   29 ( 49.15%)
Jul   25 ( 42.37%)
Jun   22 ( 37.29%)
Oct   22 ( 37.29%)
Aug   21 ( 35.59%)
Apr   19 ( 32.20%)
Nov   14 ( 23.73%)
Dec   14 ( 23.73%)
Feb   11 ( 18.64%)
Mar   11 ( 18.64%)
Jan   10 ( 16.95%)

********************
Split-vote IRV
********************
Round # 1  Sep=8.9 May=8.8 Jul=6.7 Oct=5.7 Aug=5.6 Jun=4.9 Apr=4.3 Dec=2.9
Feb=2.9 Nov=2.7 Mar=2.4 Jan=2.2 [NOTA=1.0]
Eliminate Jan
Round # 2  Sep=9.1 May=8.9 Jul=6.9 Oct=6.3 Aug=5.6 Jun=5.1 Apr=4.4 Dec=3.2
Feb=3.0 Nov=3.0 Mar=2.6 [NOTA=1.0]
Eliminate Mar
Round # 3  Sep=9.2 May=9.0 Jul=7.1 Oct=6.5 Aug=5.7 Jun=5.2 Apr=4.5 Dec=3.3
Feb=3.3 Nov=3.2 [NOTA=2.0]
Eliminate Nov
Round # 4  Sep=9.6 May=9.1 Jul=7.3 Oct=6.8 Aug=5.8 Jun=5.4 Apr=5.3 Dec=4.0
Feb=3.6 [NOTA=2.0]
Eliminate Feb
Round # 5  Sep=9.7 May=9.2 Jul=7.6 Aug=7.5 Oct=7.5 Apr=5.8 Jun=5.4 Dec=4.3
[NOTA=2.0]
Eliminate Dec
Round # 6  Sep=10.1 May=9.4 Oct=8.3 Aug=7.8 Jul=7.8 Apr=6.0 Jun=5.7 [NOTA=4.0]
Eliminate Jun
Round # 7  Sep=11.7 May=10.0 Jul=9.6 Oct=8.7 Aug=8.4 Apr=6.6 [NOTA=4.0]
Eliminate Apr
Round # 8  Sep=12.5 Jul=11.3 May=10.8 Oct=9.6 Aug=8.8 [NOTA=6.0]
Eliminate Aug
Round # 9  Sep=13.3 Jul=13.2 May=11.8 Oct=10.7 [NOTA=10.0]
Eliminate Oct
Round #10  Sep=15.2 Jul=14.7 May=14.2 [NOTA=15.0]
Eliminate May
Round #11  Sep=23.0 Jul=18.0 [NOTA=18.0]
Eliminate Jul
Round #12  Sep=30.0 [NOTA=29.0]
Winner: Sep

If I repeat the IRV election sequentially with winners removed, I get
exactly the same order as Approval count

1. September
2. May
3. July
4. June & October
6. August
7. April
8. November & December
10. February & March
12. January

*******************
Ballots
******************
Election ballots:
 # Names         Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
 1 TLR             0   0   0   1   1   1   0   0   1   1   1   1
 2 RM              1   1   1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   1   1
 3 pcrunch         0   0   0   0   1   0   0   0   0   1   0   0
 4 DavidC          0   0   0   0   0   1   1   1   1   1   1   0
 5 honky98         1   1   1   0   0   0   0   0   1   1   1   1
 6 JamesS          0   0   1   1   1   1   1   1   1   0   0   0
 7 MikeW           0   0   0   0   0   1   1   1   0   0   0   1
 8 DanielleG       0   0   0   0   1   0   0   0   0   0   0   0
 9 AmyJ            0   0   0   0   1   0   0   0   1   0   0   0
10 CraigJ          0   0   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   0   1   0
11 Ulli            0   1   0   0   0   0   0   1   0   0   0   0
12 Jessica         0   1   0   0   0   0   0   1   0   1   0   0
13 AmandaW         1   1   1   1   1   1   1   1   1   1   1   1
14 TracyD          0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   1
15 BobD            0   0   0   1   0   0   1   0   1   0   0   0
16 CyndiH          0   0   1   1   1   1   1   1   1   1   1   1
17 LCraig          0   0   0   1   0   1   1   0   0   0   0   0
18 Christine       0   1   0   0   0   0   0   1   0   0   0   0
19 Bharath         0   0   0   1   1   0   1   0   0   0   0   0
20 Sarah H         0   0   1   1   1   1   1   1   1   1   0   1
21 DanT            0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0
22 PeterC          0   0   0   0   0   1   0   0   1   0   0   0
23 DonaldD         0   0   1   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0
24 Conrad          0   0   0   1   1   1   1   1   0   1   0   1
25 Madame X        0   0   0   1   1   1   0   1   1   1   1   1
26 KristinS        1   1   0   1   1   1   1   1   1   1   0   1
27 DanC            0   0   0   1   0   0   1   0   0   0   0   0
28 TammyS          0   0   0   0   1   0   0   0   1   0   0   0
29 JulienneW       0   0   0   1   1   1   0   0   1   0   0   0
30 BartI           1   1   1   1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   0
31 DaveP           0   0   0   0   0   1   0   0   1   0   0   0
32 Zorica          0   0   0   0   0   0   1   0   0   0   0   0
33 DeeL            0   0   0   0   1   0   1   1   1   1   1   0
34 Dale            0   0   0   0   1   0   0   0   0   1   0   0
35 SarahL          0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   0   0
36 Bryan           0   0   0   0   1   0   0   0   1   0   0   0
37 Roger           0   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   0   0   0   0
38 Natalia         1   0   0   0   1   1   0   0   1   0   0   0
39 MarkC           1   0   0   0   0   1   1   0   0   0   0   0
40 Terje           0   0   0   0   1   0   0   0   1   0   0   0
41 Branko          0   0   0   0   1   0   0   0   1   0   0   0
42 Kathy           0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   0   0   0
43 Yoshi           1   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   0   0
44 Ritalee         0   0   0   1   1   1   1   1   1   1   1   0
45 Carlos          0   0   0   0   1   0   0   1   1   0   0   0
46 Chad            0   0   0   0   1   0   0   0   1   0   0   0
47 Kim             0   0   0   0   1   0   0   0   1   1   0   0
48 Henry           0   0   0   0   0   1   1   1   0   0   0   0
49 Gayle           0   0   0   0   1   0   1   1   0   0   0   0
50 David           0   0   0   0   1   0   1   0   1   0   0   0
51 Jo              1   1   1   0   1   1   1   1   1   1   1   1
52 Tina            0   0   0   0   0   1   1   0   0   0   0   0
53 JimWSr          0   0   0   1   0   0   0   0   0   1   0   0
54 JoAnn           1   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   1
55 Mark            0   1   0   0   0   0   0   1   0   0   0   0
56 Joe             0   1   1   0   0   0   1   0   0   1   0   0
57 Alex            0   0   0   1   0   0   0   0   0   0   1   0
58 Rachel          0   0   0   1   1   1   1   1   1   0   0   1
59 AmyS            0   0   1   1   1   1   1   0   1   1   0   0


**************
Ballot frequency
**************
Ballot frequency count:
Types of ballots=50
 J F M A M J J A S O N D
 a e a p a u u u e c o e
 n b r r y n l g p t v c   Frequency
[ONE VOTE]
 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1    1  1.7%        59

[TWO VOTES]
 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0    3  5.1%        59
 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0    6 10.2%        59
 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0    2  3.4%        59
 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0    2  3.4%        59
 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0    1  1.7%        59

[THREE VOTES]
 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0    1  1.7%        59
 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1    1  1.7%        59

[FOUR VOTES]
 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1    1  1.7%        59

[FIVE VOTES]
 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0    1  1.7%        59

[SIX VOTES]
 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0    1  1.7%        59
 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1    1  1.7%        59

[SEVEN VOTES]
 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1    1  1.7%        59
 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1    1  1.7%        59

{EIGHT VOTES]
 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1    1  1.7%        59

{NINE VOTES]
 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1    1  1.7%        59

[TEN VOTES]
 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1    1  1.7%        59
 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1    1  1.7%        59

{ELEVEN VOTES]
 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1    1  1.7%        59

{TWELVE VOTES]
 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1    1  1.7%        59



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