[EM] Approval-Runoff

[C.Benham]

Mike Ossipoff wrote (9 March 2012):

> "Kevin:
>
> You wrote:
>  
> I don't think Approval-Runoff can get off the ground since it's too
> apparent that a party could nominate two candidates (signaling that one
> is just a pawn to aid the other) and try to win by grabbing both of the
> finalist positions. If this happened regularly it would be just an
> expensive version of FPP.
>
> [endquote]
>
> I'd believed that it would just be seen as a minimal change from Runoff.
> You mean that, because of Approval in the 1st election, it would be 
> too easy
> for a faction to put two identical candidates in the runoff? Yes, now 
> that you
> mention it, that's probably so.
>
> Approval-Runoff suggestion withdrawn."


Some years ago I suggested a 2-round system which uses approval in the 
first round, and then (if the most approved candidate is not approved on 
a majority of ballots) has a run-off between the most approved candidate 
A and the candidate that is most approved on ballots that don't approve A.

That removes the problem (compared to "normal" Approval-Runoff) of the 
same subset of voters choosing both finalists, and also greatly reduces 
the Push-over (aka "turkey raising") incentive.

I also consider this to be some improvement on normal (vote-for-one ) 
TTR. Of course it loses plain Approval's compliance with the FBC, 
because voting for your favourite could cause the runoff to be between
Favourite and Worst leading to win for Worst instead of between 
Compromise and Worst leading to a win for Compromise.

Chris Benham