[EM] Introductory Message

James Gilmour jgilmour at globalnet.co.uk
Mon Mar 15 10:22:47 PST 2004


Stephane Rouillon a écrit :

> STV is hard to resolve without a computer.

Sorry, Stephane, but I just have to say "rubbish".
STV-PR has been done with paper ballots and hand sorting and hand counting in Ireland for Dáil and
local Council elections since 1920 and in Northern Ireland for Assembly and District Council
elections since 1973.  Of course, a simple electronic calculator helps, and a simple computer
program might help a bit more.  But practical experience for more than 80 years has shown that
STV-PR can be implemented perfectly well for major public elections with nothing more than pencil
and paper and hand sorting and counting.

>.. Even if I think 
> it is the actual best method for multiple-winners using 
> relatively large districts, I would not recommend it to 
> persons doing hand counts...

Computerisation, with electronic voting, may be the way forward, but there are still some problems
to be overcome.  But these problems relate to the voting method (electronic without an audit trail)
and NOT to the voting system, ie STV-PR.
James




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