[EM] Re: IRV wins big in SF and Vermont

[Alex Small]

I must have missed the original post in the thread, but all I've seen is
reaction to it.  I get the digest version, but I frequently read
groups.yahoo.com/group/election-methods-list, and I've seen replies to my
posts appear before my posts.

Those of us who conclude that Approval Voting is far superior to IRV need
to act.  I have a few ideas:

1) I know of a Libertarian candidate for Sec. of State in Indiana (Paul
Hager, www.hager2002.org) who is running on an AV platform, but who knows
if he really stands a chance?

If we could identify some serious candidates who support AV, maybe we could
have a pledge drive/fundraiser for them.  Call it $2002 for 2002, or
something.  Nobody pays unless we get enough pledges to make a substantial
donation (why spend our $ unless we can make a real impact?).

2)  AV needs a good popular book.  Brams and Fishburn wrote a superb book,
but we need the sort of book that Barnes and Noble displays in front, the
sort that gets reviewed in major newspapers, not just voting reform and
third-party newsletters.  It would have to be provocative, otherwise it
won't be read.  Since AV is a direct assault on the two-party monopoly the
book should be as political as it is technical.

Of course, who will write it?  I don't know.  I just know that it would be
good if it happened, and that there are a lot of smart people on this list.

3)  Start a ballot initiative in a small county.  I'd sure pitch in a
little cash for that.  If I had some collaborators in Santa Barbara County
I'd beat the pavement to get signatures.

4)  If nobody has time to write a book, maybe we as a group could at least
collaborate on a "white paper."  Submit it to the major third parties with
a simple proposal:  Declare a truce in certain states, so that in each
state legislative district and in each Sec. of State race there's only one
third party candidate.  Each party to the truce simply agrees to make AV a
major focus of the campaign.  I'm a quasi-libertarian, but I'd vote for a
socialist if he made AV the focus of his campaign, at least in the Sec. of
State race.

Other ideas?