[EM] Definition of preferential voting

[Toplak Jurij]

Steve, thanks for pointing out the Robert's Rules.

Both definitions you mention are quite common: the one that uses
"preferential voting" as a synonim for "the group of methods that allow
voters to rank the candidates" as well as the one that uses "preferential
voting" as a synonim for one specific method. I guess Robert's uses the
former.
Let me also mention the understanding of Karvonen. According to him, STV (I
mean multimember district STV here), Open list PR, and even Block Voting are
forms of preferential voting. Alternative Vote (IRV), however, is not!!!
See: Lauri Karvonen "Preferential voting: incidence and effects",
International Political Science Review, 25, 2004, 203-226.

And to answer Steve's comment: Yes, I will mention several ways in which
people have used the term. I'll try to give an overview of definitions given
by all the leading authors in the field.
Best,
Jure


> Hi,
>
> Check out the definition of "preferential voting" in
> the Scott, Foresman book on Robert's Rules of Order.
> I don't have a copy but my recollection is that it
> defines preferential voting as any voting method in
> which the voters express their orders of preference--
> my words, not theirs--and it offers IRV as one example.
> Their use of IRV as an example could explain why some
> people now believe the term is a synonym for IRV.
>
> Perhaps in Toplak Jurij's paper he should mention
> the several ways in which people have used the term,
> before offering the definition he believes is most
> appropriate.   --Steve
> -----------------------
> > Toplak Jurij wrote:
> >
> > During the last days the discussion on this list has focused
> > primarily on the terminology. Coincidently I am working on
> > a paper that tries to define "preferential voting".
> >
> > Literature offers numerous understandings and definitions:
> > - 'preferential voting' is often used as a synonym for
> >    Alternative Vote or IRV
> > - 'preferential voting' is sometimes used as another name
> >    for STV
> > - 'preferential voting' is often used to denote 'ranking
> >    methods' (thus including STV, AV, Borda, etc.)
> > - 'preferential voting is often used to denote a preference
> >    for a single candidate within List PR (this definition
> >    is used mainly in Europe)
> > - mathematicians put first-past-the-post in the group
> >    of preferential voting schemes, but approval voting
> >    is not a member of this group - some authors put US
> >    primaries under 'preferential voting' (Katz,
> >    for instance).
> >
> > Is it possible to define preferential voting at all?
> > I'd be grateful for any comments.
>
> ----
> Election-methods mailing list - see http://electorama.com/em for list info