[EM] Approval Voting

[Jonathan Lundell]

On 6 May 2013, at 2:08 PM, Jonathan Denn <info at aGREATER.US> wrote:
> 
> Plurality voting without the Electoral College
> 
> In a three way race for POTUS. Let's say we have the traditional D and R. A fringe third party candidate runs and is widely hated (H) by everyone except his/her supporters. But the final results are 
> 
> H 34%
> D 33%
> R 33%
> 
> Now the hated candidate is leader of the free world. 
> 
> In Approval Voting, I think it unlikely in this hyper-partisan country that many voters will vote for D & R, and not H. So the results might very well be the same. 
> 
> Is this a legit flaw for Approval? It seems quite plausible to me. 

Sure.

Suppose the plurality numbers (could be approval with 100% bullet voting) were:

H 32
R 33
D 35

D wins. But suppose that 5 D's decide to approve R in an effort to avoid the possible election of H, but the R's are determined to bullet-vote:

H 32
R 38
D 35

Oops.