[EM] Automatic Equal Ranking Line Option for Poll

[MIKE OSSIPOFF]

First, let me nominate another candidate: Historian Michael Parenti.

I suggest that, for rank ballots in the poll, voters should have the 
automatic equal ranking line option.

The voter can indicate that s/he would like to have an automatic equal 
ranking line at any place that s/he specifies in hir ranking. Doing so means 
that if there's a circular tie, and if no candidate above that line wins, 
then that voter wants to move to 1st place all of the candidates above that 
line, and have the election's rankings re-counted.

[end of definition of automatic equal ranking line option]

The use of that option protects the above-line candidates from offensive 
order-reversal.

Additionally, if a voter rates the candidates as being in 2 sets such that 
the merit differences within each set are negligible compared to the merit 
difference between the 2 sets, that voter won't have incentive to rank all 
the better-set candidates in 1st place. That voter can instead just place 
the automatic equal ranking line just below the better-set candidates.

So, in general, that option protects the above-line candidates against 
offensive order-reversal, and it also protects them, maxizing the 
probability that one of them will win, in natural circular ties.

The automatic equal ranking line option is one of the several automatic 
strategy options that I propose for wv. I wouldn't include them in a public 
proposal, but I'd propose at least some of them later, after wv has been in 
public use for some time. Of course they should be proposed for public 
elections at such time as the problems that they help are becoming 
considered a problem.

For this poll, I'm only proposing the automatic equal ranking line option.

Example of its use:

1. Camejo, Parenti (and Livingstone if he qualifies as a candidate)
2. Nader, Cynthia McKinney, Howard Zinn
3. Al Sharpton, Jim Hightower
[automatic equal ranking line]
4. Kucinich
5. Dean
6. Edwards
7. Kerry

Of course an Approval cutoff could be indicated in the ranking in the same 
way as the automatic equal ranking line.

And, with pre-constructed ballots, an Approval cutoff and an automatic equal 
ranking line can be indicated by having the ballot ask "If you want an 
Approval cutoff, below which rank position do you want it?"  and "If you 
want an automatic equal ranking line, below which rank position do you want 
it?"

Mike Ossipoff

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