[EM] IRV vs Plurality (Dave Ketchum)

[Abd ul-Rahman Lomax]

Cutting to the chase, the fundamental error has been to assume that  
write-in or so-called inconsequential candidates can be batch- 
eliminated before having results from the whole election. No precinct  
knows what can be eliminated until it has the results from other  
precincts for the first round. Further a method must accomodate not  
just a most-common scenario but also all possible scenarios. Runoff  
voting in general encourages candidate counts to increase. Cf. San  
Francisco.

We are talking about the matrix size necessary to fully canvass an IRV  
election centrally from initial data provided by each precinct. That  
initial data might categorize all write-candidates into a single pile,  
but the risk is that if reports from other precincts indicate possible  
significance, it would be necessary to ask the precincts to tabulate  
the write-in pile. If you did this with so-called minor candidates,  
you'd see a lawsuit, which is less likely with write-ins.