[EM] The New Democracy Chronicles Rank-Balloting Poll on Party Platforms

[Michael Ossipoff]

The New Democracy Chronicles Rank-Balloting Poll on Party Platforms:
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The Occupy-Movement has done an internal poll on political parties.
But our Democracy Chronicles poll is specifically, explicitlly, about
party _platforms_.


We chose that emphasis because the platforms (along with what we've
seen of their deeds in office) should be the main factor in the choice
of a party.


The Democracy Chronicles poll on party platforms is a rank-balloting
poll, counted by Symmetrical ICT.


Because the count method is Symmetrical ICT, there is no need to rank
any more alternatives than you want to. There is no need to rank
unacceptable parties or their platforms.


And, because voters are asked to read at least one non-Republocrat
platform, this poll only includes 4 parties, to avoid a prohibitively
time-consuming task, reading the platforms.


Here are the 4 parties in the poll's lineup (listed in alphabetical order):


Democrat

Green

Libertarian

Republican


To vote in this poll, go to http://www.democracychronicles.com


In the list of articles in the margin, click on the article that
introduces the rank-balloting poll on political parties.


That article will introduce and discuss the poll.


To vote, scroll to the bottom of the article, where there is a "comments" space.


When you get to that section, there will be some comments already made
(five, as of this time of wrting).


Below those is a rectangular writing-space labeled "Comment".  Just
write your ranking in that rectangular writing-space.


Voting can be anonymous, if you prefer. But, if you want to, you can
state your name in the "Name" field when you write your comment. Or,
if you want to, you can "sign" your ranking by writing your name below
your ranking, in the comment space.


But I emphasize that you can vote anonymously, without writing your
name anywhere.


So, in that comment writing-space, just write your ranking of the
party platforms.


Label each rank position by first writing a number, with a period
after it. That's just a suggestion.


For instance, it might be:


1. [your 1st choice]

2. [your 2nd choice]

3. [your 3rd choice]

4. [your 4th chocie]


But I re-emphasize that, with Symmetrical ICT, you don't have to rank
all of the platforms unless you want to.


Each platform that you don't rank will be counted as having
_everything_ ranked over it on your ballot.


In Symmetrical ICT, a ballot that votes only two rank
positions(1st-ranked, and unranked) is effectively an Approval ballot,
in the senses that it fully and maximally votes for its 1st ranked
candidate(s), and fully and maximally votes against its unranked
candidates.


If you want to do all that you can to ensure that parties in some
particular set won't win, then your best strategy is to leave them
unranked.


Though this is improved Condorcet, and equal ranking is allowed, and
we guarantee that, even if you wanted to top-rank a compromise, you
still have no reason to not top-rank your favorite--Of course, because
this isn't a real election, you don't really have any reason to
top-rank any party other than your favorite, among our lineup.


Top-ranking a compromise, in addiiton to your favorite, would conceal
your favorite and your genuine preference.

Though some would use equal-top rankiing in an actual election, it
would be contary to your best expressive interest to do so in this
poll.


So, you're invited to vote in Democracy Chronicles' rank-balloting
poll on voting systems.


Michael Ossipoff