[EM] [RangeVoting] Re: voting reform effort in DENVER - PLEASE HELP

[Jan Kok]

On 6/11/06, warren_d_smith31 <wds at math.temple.edu> wrote:
> Another important piece of info we need Jan to provide:
>
> What reasons do they have (both stated and unstated)
> for wanting IRV and for believing the current plur+delayed runoff system is inadequate?
>
> Why do they believe IRV is the cat's meow for them?

Unstated reasons? You think I'm a mindreader? :-)

The first part of
http://www.denvergov.org/admin/news/newsforms/IRV_overview.pdf states
some reasons.

Note the input from Larimer County League of Women Voters. You
(Warren) and I corresponded with a member of that group last December.
Remember she said the LWV was very conservative and couldn't endorse
something new and untried like RV?

There was a guy at the May 31 meeting who, in response to my pitch,
said "We can't go to the council with several proposals." I don't
agree with that... If I was a council member, I think I would like to
hear about proposals like this as early as possible, even if they are
in a state of flux, so I could provide my inputs, air any concerns,
give people as much time to adjust their proposals to address my
concerns, etc.

I don't think the irv-l group necessarily thinks IRV is the "cat's
meow". It's just that the momentum of the group is taking it in the
direction of IRV. It will take a consistent push in another direction
to get them to change direction. Can we voting method "experts" decide
among ourselves which direction we want them to go in? :-)

I admit I did unleash a lot of chaos by throwing out so many ideas all at once.

By the way, Rob Richie has written some cogent replies on the irv-l
list.  Worth reading, and seeing if we can address _his_ concerns
about Approval Voting, for example.

Cheers,
- Jan