[EM] Efforts to improve on CR's strategy

[Bart Ingles]

Kevin Venzke wrote:
> 
> > If you're voting strategy is based on who you think is or is not likely
> > to win, that suggests an IR-type approach, such as Brian Olson's
> > "Instant Runoff Normalized Ratings" (IRNR),
> > http://lists.electorama.com/pipermail/election-methods-electorama.com/2004-May/012885.html
> 
> Hmm, Plurality, cumulative voting, IRV, Approval, and CR all suggest this
> sort of strategy.

IRNR seems equivalent to repeated runoff elections.  In a zero-info
election with five candidates, where my preferences are A>B>C>D>E, I
would vote something like:

A(1.0) > B(0.001) > C(0.000001) > D(0.000000001) > E(0.0)

The idea is that subsequent ratings are low enough that they don't
detract much from my first-choice vote in each round.  And if my first
choice is ever eliminated, the bulk of my voting power always goes to my
highest remaining choice.

If not zero info, I would still vote as above except that the order of
candidates would be the same as my strategic ranking under regular IRV
(lesser-evil front runners, followed by non-competitive favorites,
followed by greater-evil front-runners and crank candidates).

In other words, just as straight cumulative voting is strategically
equivalent to plurality, cumulative voting with elimination seems
strategically equivalent to IRV or repeated runoffs.

Bart