Majority-Choice Approval

[Joe Weinstein]

Sorry if I unintentionally misrepresented Demorep's proposal. My intent was 
the opposite:  to present an indubitably viable version.

As Demorep has just noted, I wrote that he "has urged that in general an 
electoral winner be certified only if a majority of voters have in effect 
voted ‘Yes’ for the winner:  otherwise,the position should be filled by the 
legislature or some other designated body."

To iterate and clarify his proposal he writes:  "The legislative body 
involved with the executive or judicial office can fill any vacancy in any 
such office if there is NO majority YES winner.  Where the *other designated 
body* came from in any of my postings is a mystery to me (and this list) 
???"

Well, the reason for my adding 'other designated body' is that the 
proposal's general intent is clear, but its intended practical realization 
may be unclear.  In many cases you do need to 'designate' - i.e. spell out 
precisely - just what is to be meant by 'the legislative body involved'.

Such a body may not exist, or there may be more than one.  For instance, 
consider a statewide elective office in a bicameral legislature state. (I 
believe that could be 49 out of the 50 states, excluding only Nebraska)?  
How do two houses somehow elect somebody?  (Yes, there are many possible 
ways:  which particular way, or which possibilities, are in fact 
contemplated?)

Sometimes an office' electorate does not match that of any legislative body 
- for instance, here in California, seats and districts of the state 'Board 
of Equalization'.  Or, for that matter, consider a US House position.  What 
is 'the' legislative body involved:  the US House alone, the joint US 
Congress, or the state's legislature (likely bicameral)?

In these various cases there is no universally obvious unique 'the 
legislative body involved'.  No matter:  the basic idea of Demorep's  
proposal is viable for any office, when voters have not given any candidate 
a YES majority, provided responsibility for filling the office falls to a 
clearly designated body possessing a clearly defined election procedure.

Joe Weinstein
Long Beach CA USA


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