[EM] Anthony: IRV strategy

[MIKE OSSIPOFF]

Anthony--

I'm glad to get the opinions of people in Australia, about IRV strategy in 
Australia.

I've heard from about 5 Australians about that. Three told me that 
favorite-burial is common in Australian IRV elections. Two (including you) 
told me that they haven't heard of it.

One could argue that the three who told me it's common were lying. But why 
would they lie?

Isn't it more plausible that the two who haven't heard of it just happen to 
have not talked to the people who vote that way (and admit it)?

One of them even told me that she herself had voted a lesser-evil compromise 
in 1st place, over her favorite, in the most recent election. Was she lying? 
Why would she lie about that?

One of them told me that it's difficult for the smaller parties to get their 
members to rank them in 1st place, because they all want to rank a big-2 
lesser-evil in 1st place instead.  He said that voters say that they're 
doing that to avoid wasting their vote.

One Australian told me that they don't vote that way because they know about 
IRV's specific  faults. They do it because they assume that the situation is 
as it is in Plurality (First Past The Post). And of course, to a significant 
extent they're right, with IRV. He didn't say they don't vote that way. He 
said they do it because they assume the situation is as sit is in Plurality.

People have complained that the 5 Australians I've talked to don't 
constitute a scientific statistical study. I have nothing against a 
scientific statistical study. But, in the meantime, I merely tell the 
information that's available so far.

Mike Ossipoff

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