[EM] Why I think IRV isn't a serious alternative 2

[Kathy Dopp]

On Mon, Dec 29, 2008 at 6:50 PM, Terry Bouricius
<terryb at burlingtontelecom.net> wrote:
> Kathy Dopp wrote:
>
> <snip>
> since "abstentions or blanks" are from those who have not voted.
> <snip>


To be more precise, I meant

since abstentions or blanks are from those who have not voted IN THE
ELECTION CONTEST.

I certainly did not mean on the entire ballot as you interpreted.

Since the normal meaning of a majority winner is a majority out of
those who voted in the election contest, as per Robert's Rules, the
false claim made by Fair Vote and other IRV/STV proponents that
IRV/STV finds majority winners is deliberate deception.  There is no
other reasonable explanation.

If Fair Vote and other IRV/STV proponents wanted to be precisely
truthful, they would be modifying their claim as follows:

"IRV/STV finds a majority winner OUT OF THE VOTERS WHOSE BALLOTS ARE
NOT ELIMINATED BY THE FINAL IRV/STV COUNTING ROUND BECAUSE THEY
HAPPENED TO VOTE FOR A CANDIDATE WHO IS LEFT IN THE FINAL IRV/STV
COUNTING ROUND - AND IF A MAJORITY IS NOT FOUND IN ROUND ONE, THAN
IRV/STV WINNERS USUALLY RECEIVE VOTES FROM LESS THAN A MAJORITY OF
VOTERS WHO VOTED IN THE ELECTION CONTEST"

Only then, could I consider that Fair Vote and other IRV/STV
proponents are attempting to be honest rather than deliberately
misleading.

But then, I do place honesty at the top of my value system.
-- 

Kathy Dopp

The material expressed herein is the informed  product of the author's
fact-finding and investigative efforts. Dopp is a Mathematician,
Expert in election audit mathematics and procedures; in exit poll
discrepancy analysis; and can be reached at

P.O. Box 680192
Park City, UT 84068
phone 435-658-4657

http://utahcountvotes.org
http://electionmathematics.org
http://kathydopp.com/serendipity/

Post-Election Vote Count Audit
A Short Legislative & Administrative Proposal
http://electionmathematics.org//ucvAnalysis/US/paper-audits/Vote-Count-Audit-Bill-2009.pdf

History of Confidence Election Auditing Development & Overview of
Election Auditing Fundamentals
http://electionarchive.org/ucvAnalysis/US/paper-audits/History-of-Election-Auditing-Development.pdf

Voters Have Reason to Worry
http://utahcountvotes.org/UT/UtahCountVotes-ThadHall-Response.pdf