[EM] Question on RCV/IRV multi-seat method used in Minneapolis

[Raph Frank]

On 9/24/08, James Gilmour <jgilmour at globalnet.co.uk> wrote:
>  The trust in the counting procedures developed when nearly all UK elections were by
> FPTP (simple plurality) in single-member
>  electoral districts (one "X" per ballot paper).  We have been happy to transfer that trust
> to more complex voting procedures, and
>  our trust has not been misplaced.

This is similar in Ireland, confidence in the count is high.  The
electoral register on the other hand isn't trusted quite so much.

However, the issue there is that they only remove people from the
register if they are sure that the person shouldn't be there.

> We have made some progress in this direction: we imposed STV-PR on Ireland in 1920,

Speaking as an Irish person, I am not sure that is accurate.  PR-STV
was supported by the Irish side (partly because they wanted a system
that would reduce the unionist minority's fears of a united Ireland) .
 The British government may have also supported it, but that just
means that it was an area of agreement, rather than them imposing it.

In any case, I am not sure imposing a voting system against the will
of the majority is necessarily a good thing.

It is true that later FF tried to switch back to plurality for the
elections in the Republic, but that was purely a power grab as they
were starting to lose their easy majority (and the voters blocked the
change to the constitution).