[EM] Conversations with people new to voting systems

[Russ Paielli]

MIKE OSSIPOFF nkklrp-at-hotmail.com |EMlist| wrote:
> 
> Propose CR Instead Of Approval:
> ---------------------------
> 
> I've  mentioned these facts before, but recent conversations re-confirm 
> them.
> 
> Someone I was talking to recently objected to Approval, because of a 
> concern that the person who votes for more than one candidate has more 
> power than someone who only votes for one candidate. We all are familiar 
> with the answers to that objection, and it was the topic of much 
> discussion on the Approval mailing list. But that objection to Approval 
> is very widespread.
> 
> Though it can be answered, people don't always listen to the 
> explanation, and even if you get the opportunity to answer that 
> objection, you won't always convince the person you're talking to. I've 
> spoken with people who remained unconvinced, and who continued to 
> believe that Approval gives more power to some people, and is more 
> unfair than Plurality or IRV in that way.

I can understand how someone could come up with this "one man, one vote" 
objection as a first reaction, but if such a person cannot be persuaded 
of the folly of this objection, that person is obviously not too bright. 
I don't think we should gear our public proposals to that level of 
stupidity.

The objection I've heard from several IRV promoters regarding Approval 
is actually a legitimate one. They don't like the fact that it forces 
the voter to rank all of his approved candidates equally. I don't like 
that aspect of it either. Yes, I know all about convergence to the CW 
under ideal assumptions, but we live in the real world where those 
assumptions aren't valid -- and may not even be a good approximation.

CR is a good system in principle, but I believe it would be difficult 
both to sell and to implement. First of all, general "CR" can have any 
level of resolution, which is just another argument to be settled. 
Secondly, when intelligent voters realize that they might as well just 
vote "bang-bang" (min or max), they will decry the unnecessary 
complexity of general CR.

But the most important reason I think CR is an unwise public proposal is 
that it just doesn't "feel" right to me. Try to imagine going into a 
voting booth and having to rate each candidate on a numerical scale. It 
just won't happen. Don't believe me? Fine. Wait 30 years and find out 
for yourself.

--Russ