[EM] why 0-99 in range voting

[Abd ul-Rahman Lomax]

At 11:52 AM 11/22/2006, RLSuter at aol.com wrote:
>In meetings, when voting on relatively routine issues,
>a range of +1, 0, and -1 may be best in most cases.

In meetings, voting on multiple-answer questions is rare. Where 
multiple choices exist, a range poll as part of the deliberative 
process makes complete sense to me.

In my view, the majority does have the right of decision, ultimately. 
That is, after considering the strength of preference of various 
elements of the membership, it can decide Yes or No to a single question.

Out of a Range poll can easily come a motion to elect the Range 
winner. Majority Yes, not a problem.

But if the majority refuses to accept the Range winner, it may then 
either elect the preference winner, if one has a majority, or it may 
engage in further deliberative process.

This is standard democratic practice *at meetings*.

It is only with isolated polls, what we call elections, that the 
various complications arise. Fixing a winner from a poll is 
inherently flawed. I do not believe that the flaw is remediable, 
though certainly better methods can limit the possibility of a serious problem.

(There is no problem if a majority prefers or approves of the winner, 
problems only arise when a winner does not enjoy majority support. 
This, then represents minority rule, no matter how you slice it, if 
the election is accepted merely on the basis of election results.)