[EM] Does IRV elect "majority winners?"

[Paul Kislanko]

In "real elections" the problem is that the Powers That Be chose to not
allow me to vote at all, despite the fact I'm a registered voter. So
whatever method you propose or support I consider irrelevant, until you sort
out the problems on the collection side. 

-----Original Message-----
From: election-methods-bounces at lists.electorama.com
[mailto:election-methods-bounces at lists.electorama.com] On Behalf Of Jonathan
Lundell
Sent: Friday, January 02, 2009 4:41 PM
To: Abd ul-Rahman Lomax
Cc: Paul Kislanko; 'Markus Schulze'; election-methods at electorama.com
Subject: Re: [EM] Does IRV elect "majority winners?"

On Jan 2, 2009, at 2:26 PM, Abd ul-Rahman Lomax wrote:

> Elections aren't merely picking some ideal best winner in a bad  
> situation, they are seeking, if a majority is sought, one who will  
> be accepted, *at least*, by most voters.

That may well be a desideratum, but it's not the case in real  
elections. I've certainly contributed (or tried to contribute) to  
majorities by voting for a less-unacceptable candidate. It's rational,  
but it doesn't constitute "acceptance" except in some weak sense,  
perhaps acquiescence. 
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