[EM] ICC & IRV

[Eric Gorr]

At 3:53 PM -0500 3/15/04, atarr at purdue.edu wrote:
>Quoting Eric Gorr <eric at ericgorr.net>:
>
>>  Please correct me if I am mistaken, but if, for IRV (and probably any
>>  other ranked method for that matter), voters are limited to ranking
>>  only a certain number of candidates, then the method would no longer
>>  meet the ICC, if it had done so before, and vote splitting could
>>  again become a problem.
>>
>>  Correct?
>
>As I understand it, yes.

Thanks for the second confirmation.

I bring this up because of something I just learned about...a 
proposed Ordinance for Roseville, MN concerning IRV.

They apparently only allow the ranking of four candidates (point G). 
Considering that one argument likely used in support of IRV was that 
it would eliminate the spoiler problem, it would seem that they have 
failed to meet voter expectations. While it is obviously more 
difficult to take advantage of the failure to meet ICC, it is 
certainly not impossible.

Also, I've never seen this before...

   (d) If at any stage in the counting there are two or more last
   place candidates, these candidates are eliminated simultaneously
   and the next choices made on ballots that had votes for one or
   more eliminated candidates become votes for indicated candidates
   who remain.

In the research I've done, most would agree that if two or more are 
tied, the selection should be random...

As I understand it, the city council is voting on this soon (perhaps 
even today)....if anyone cares to write to them, they can be found 
at: http://ci.roseville.mn.us/council/members.htm

Here's the full proposal...

---


C.	Instant runoff counting will proceed in the following manner:

(a) All first choices are counted first and if a candidate has obtained a
majority of those votes that candidate is elected and counting ends.
(b) If no candidate receives a majority of votes at the first stage, then
second stage counting begins by eliminating the last place candidate and the
second choices made on ballots for the eliminated candidate become votes for
the second choice candidate indicated on those ballots.  A candidate who
receives a majority of votes at that stage is elected. 
(c) If no candidate receives a majority at a previous stage, the last place
candidate among the remaining candidates is eliminated and the next choices
made on ballots for an eliminated candidate become votes for the candidate
indicated on those ballots.  A candidate who receives a majority of votes at
that stage is elected. 
  (d) If at any stage in the counting there are two or more last place
candidates, these candidates are eliminated simultaneously and the next
choices made on ballots that had votes for one or more eliminated candidates
become votes for indicated candidates who remain. 
(e) The counting process continues in this manner with successive last place
candidates being eliminated and the next choices made on continuing ballots
on which votes were cast for eliminated candidates are counted for the
remaining candidate or candidates indicated by those choices until all but
one candidate has been eliminated and that candidate is elected.

D.	Once a ballot is exhausted it is disregarded and no longer counted.
A ballot assigning the same ranking to more than one candidate for an office
is exhausted when the duplicate ranking is reached, in which case no vote is
recorded for any of the duplicate candidates so chosen. 

E.	If a ballot choice skips a ranking, the next ranking below the
skipped choice is moved up and counted as though it were the rank of the
skipped choice.

F.	Ties must be decided by lot according to MN Statute 204C.34.

G.	Only four choices for any one office are counted.

H.	Voters may write in one candidate for each office and assign a
ranking to the write-in candidate along with candidates whose names are
already on the ballot.

I.	If ballots do not contain sufficient effective second and lower
choices for a particular office, so that at the end of the counting no
candidate achieves a majority, the candidate who has received the most votes
is elected.

J.	No votes may be counted for a candidate who has been eliminated no
matter how many second and lower ranked choices might otherwise have become
votes for the candidate in a later stage.