[Election-Methods] Primary Elections using a "Top 2/Single Transferable Voting Method"

[Don&Cathy Hoffard]

Primary Elections using a "Top 2/Single Transferable Voting Method" 

 

For more information on the STV method see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_transferable_vote

 

My objective was to find a method that would:

 1. Narrow the field of candidates in the General Election to a reasonable
number.

 2. Follow the US Supreme Courts ruling that only Party member can select
their Parties Candidate (the free association principle).

 3. Allow the maximum flexibility by voters (subject to 2 above).

 4. No vote is wasted.

 

 (See sample ballots below)

 

Counting Rules in finding the Top 2/STV (or Top 3+) General Election
Candidates:

1. Add all of the individual candidates votes ranked number 1 (and
transferred votes in later rounds).

2. Allocate all of the Party (Group) votes, ranked number 1 (and transferred
Party votes in later rounds), to the candidates in that Party (Group) in
proportion of the votes receive under step 1 above.

3. If any candidate who has reached or exceeded the required Droop quota
(33.4% - "Top 2", 25.1% with "Top 3") they will be included in the General
Election.

4. If a candidate has more votes than the quota, then their votes are
transferred to other candidates according to each voter's allocated
preferences. 

5. If not enough candidates have been selected, the count continues.

6. The candidate with the fewest votes is then eliminated and their votes
are transferred to remaining candidates (or Parties) according to voters'
preferences.

This process repeats from step 1 until the required number of candidates has
been selected for the General Election.

Please give me your comments:

Don Hoffard

 

Sample Ballots:

             Democratic Party Ballot (Registered Democrat Party members
only)

(Rank your Candidates and Groups (Parties) from 1 to 8

Democratic Party

[  ]  - Hillary Clinton

[  ]  -  Barack Obama

[  ]  - John Edwards

[  ]  - Bill Richardson

[  ]    - Green Party

     (Ralph Nader, Cynthia McKinney)

[  ]  - Republican Party

     (Mitt Romney, Rudy Giulinai, John McCain, Fred Thompson)

[  ] -  Libertarian Party

     (Christine Smith, Ron Paul)

[  ] - Nonaffiliated

     (Joe Lieberman)

 

                Republican Party Ballot (Registered Republican Party members
only):

(Rank your Candidates and Groups (Parties) from 1 to 8

Republican Party

    [  ]  - Mitt Romney

    [  ] - Rudy Giulinai

    [  ]- John McCain

    [  ] - Fred Thompson

[  ]  - Democratic Party

(Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Bill Richardson)

[  ]    - Green Party

      (Ralph Nader, Cynthia McKinney)

[  ] -  Libertarian Party

     (Christine Smith, Ron Paul)

[  ] - Nonaffiliated

     (Joe Lieberman)

 

                Green Party Ballot (Registered Green Party members only):

(Rank your Candidates and Groups (Parties) from 1 to 6

Green Party

    [  ] - Ralph Nader

    [  ] - Cynthia McKinney

[  ]  - Republican Party

      (Mitt Romney, Rudy Giulinai, John McCain, Fred Thompson)

[  ]  - Democratic Party

(Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Bill Richardson)

[  ] -  Libertarian Party

     (Christine Smith, Ron Paul)

[  ] - Nonaffiliated

     (Joe Lieberman)

 

               Libertarian Party Ballot (Registered Libertarian Party
members only):

(Rank your Candidates and Groups (Parties) from 1 to 6

Libertarian Party

    [  ] - Christine Smith

    [  ] - Ron Paul)

[  ]  - Democratic Party

(Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Bill Richardson)

[  ]  - Republican Party

      (Mitt Romney, Rudy Giulinai, John McCain, Fred Thompson)

[  ]    - Green Party

      (Ralph Nader, Cynthia McKinney)

[  ] - Nonaffiliated

     (Joe Lieberman)

    

           Nonaffiliated Ballot (Those not affiliated with a Party Only):

(Rank your Candidates and Groups (Parties) from 1 to 5

Nonaffiliated

    [  ]  - Joe Lieberman

[  ]  - Democratic Party

(Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Bill Richardson)

[  ]  - Republican Party

      (Mitt Romney, Rudy Giulinai, John McCain, Fred Thompson)

[  ]    - Green Party

      (Ralph Nader, Cynthia McKinney)

[  ] -  Libertarian Party

     (Christine Smith, Ron Paul)

 

 

 

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