[EM] Re: Ranked choice ballots

[Dave Ketchum]

On Wed, 1 Sep 2004 21:08:43 +0000 (UTC) Rob Brown wrote:

> Dave Ketchum <davek <at> clarityconnect.com> writes:
> 
>>I propose a ballot looking just like plurality would use to let voters 
>>mark an "X" for one candidate.  Here voters could rank as many of the 
>>candidates as they chose:
>>      Either 0-9 or A-Z would be permitted, but not a mixture unless you 
>>can sort out 01 vs OI.  0 and A are first choice.
>>      Gaps permitted - simply sort in order.
>>      Duplicates permitted - indicate same rank.
>>
> 
> How do they mark them -- with a pen, making numbers and letters?  Isn't that 
> subject to ambiguity if they make their letters/numbers imperfect?  (hanging 
> chads all over again?)
> 
> I have a hard time seeing how ranking can be done well without a touch screen 
> or other computer-type interface.


Agreed, and I was thinking of touch screen.


HOWEVER, even though I LIKE such, the system has to be workable for paper 
ballots, for absentees and other special cases.

This leads me back to the 3-column format I referenced before - perhaps 
extended as Adam wrote.  Here I repeat the claim that there is little 
value in going beyond 3-columns, and suggesting gaps and duplicates should 
be permitted as I write above.


> 
> -rob

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  Dave Ketchum   108 Halstead Ave, Owego, NY  13827-1708   607-687-5026
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