[Election-Methods] IRV "treats voters unequally"?

[James Gilmour]

Warren Smith  > Sent: 27 December 2007 05:11
> In these examples IRV *ignores* some preferences while 
> counting others. That seems unfair and arbitrary.

This may "seem unfair and arbitrary" to Smith, but it is neither.  Smith, like many others, has misinterpreted the preference
information recorded on IRV ballots.  In IRV, unlike some other voting systems that also use preferential ballots, the preferences
are contingency choices.  If the Returning Officer applies the IRV rules correctly, the IRV counting system treats all preferences
on all ballots in a completely fair and consistent way, i.e. as the contingency choices the voters wished to record.

James Gilmour

No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition. 
Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.17.9/1198 - Release Date: 26/12/2007 17:26