[EM] RE: Definition of preferential voting

[Forest Simmons]

On Fri, 20 Aug 2004, Bryan Ford wrote:

> Toplak Jurij wrote:
> >Preferential voting; n. Example of a non-sequiter.
>
> Good point.  "Preferential voting" sounds to me like the kind of opaque term
> with as many syllables as possible that might have been invented by the
> academic voting intelligentsia precisely for the purpose of keeping ordinary
> people confused and in the dark. :)
>
> As a more comprehensible alternative I would go with "ranked ballots".
>

I have a slight quibble with the phrase "ranked ballots."  If you take it
literally, it sounds like it is referring to a set of ballots that have
somehow already been ranked relative to each other, instead of a set of
ballots that can be used by voters to rank the candidates. [Compare the
meaning of "ranked pairs."]

"Ranking ballots" would be more descriptive of the actual intent of the
phrase.  The "ing" ending has the additional advantage of reassuring us
that the ballots are not pre-voted; the voter gets to fill them out.

Forest