[Election-Methods] Improved Approval Runoff

[Abd ul-Rahman Lomax]

At 10:42 PM 8/21/2007, Dave Ketchum wrote:
>On Tue, 21 Aug 2007 21:59:49 -0400 Abd ul-Rahman Lomax wrote:
>>At 10:48 PM 8/20/2007, Kevin Venzke wrote:
>>
>>>That's still pretty strange... What about IRV with equal rankings allowed?
>WHAT do the vote counters do that maybe can claim equal strength for 
>such rankings, when others are not doing such?
>     Joe ranks A and B at top - give same count to each as the one 
> Joe would otherwise select and they get an advantage.

IRV with equal ranking is really almost identical in procedure. IRV 
is a single-candidate elimination process. If equal ranking is 
allowed, each stage becomes an Approval-loser election instead of a 
Plurality-loser election.

Were the argument of unfairness true, it would also apply to simple 
Approval. It does not. There is no advantage, unless you consider 
some restoration of fairness and advantage.

IRV with equal ranking could ameliorate the center squeeze effect. 
But, of course, if voters don't use the option, it would have no 
effect. In any case, it costs nothing.

Mr. Ketchum has been around for some time, I'd expect him to understand this.

(Others have made the same error in the past, though.)