[EM] IRV addendum

[Michael Ossipoff]

I've often said that the rank-balloting ideal is illusory and
unattainable. It usually is, unless you're in a mutual majority whose
preferred candidates you like, and the method is IRV.

I'm not saying that no other method can attain that. But if there is
one, I'm not aware of it.

By the way, I'll just mention that IRV has a briefer definition:

IRV:

Repeatedly, cross off from the ballots the candidate who currently
tops the fewest ballots.

[end of IRV definition]

Sure, the usual definition says to quit when someone gets a majority.
But you needn't. If you continue till there's only one un-crossed-off
candidate, then anyone who has at any time attained a majority will be
that last remaining candidate.

The word "currently" makes it clear that the matter of a candidate
topping a ballot changes over time, as names are crossed off.

Though I didn't say it, obviously if you continue the procedure that I
specified, there will come a time when only one candidate hasn't been
crossed off. It's clear without being spelled-out that the last
remaining candidate is the winner.

Maybe a legal specification would need more words, but the above
definition clearly describes the method.

Michael Ossipoff