[EM] Voting X over Y could be defined with respect to the method whose voting is being discussed.

[Juho Laatu]

When you discuss e.g. the chicken dilemma it is enough to talk about the rankings. One could e.g. use term "effective ranking". In different election methods effective ranking is interpreted in different ways. Let's assume that we have four candidates (A, B, C, D).

In Range ballot A=9, B=8 means effective ranking A>B>C=D. (assuming that not mentioning X means X=0) Ballot A=1, B=0 means effective ranking A>B=C=D.

In Condorcet and IRV ballot A>B means effective ranking A>B>C=D. (assuming that candidates that are not mentioned are ranked below all the others)

In Approval ballot {A, B} means effective ranking A=B>C=D.

In Plurality a vote to A means effective ranking A>B=C=D.

There can also be methods like Average Range where unmentioned candidates are not considered to be ranked/rated below all others. In this case ballot A=9, B=8 means effective ranking A>B. I.e. effective ranking of C and D is not defined. (maybe better to define effective ranking this way rather than stating that C and D are effectively ranked equal)

In this framework voting X over Y would thus simply mean X being above Y in the effective ranking. Not voting X over anyone would mean X being ranked (possibly equal) last in the effective ranking. Voting X last would mean X being ranked last alone in the effective ranking.

Juho



On 9.1.2014, at 23.33, Michael Ossipoff <email9648742 at gmail.com> wrote:

> With the definitions that I've been suggesting, of voting X over Y, I've been trying for definitions by which someone can be said to vote X over Y, without reference to a particular voting system  (balloting and count). That's why I proposed adding the clause "...when using any voting system (whose balloting allows the vote that the voter is making) that is actually used in some country's official public political elections." 
>  
> If that wouldn't cover some methods, ones that use balloting unlike any actual official public political elections, then we could leave out the word "political". If necessary.
>  
> But of course it would be neater and cleaner to define "voting X over Y in the particular (specified) voting system to which the definiition is currently being appled."
>  
> I'm not saying that a specified voting system would be part of the definition of voting X over Y. I'm saying that the definition would be about voting X over Y in whatever voting system you want to apply the definition to, the voting system in which takes place the specific voting of which we're speaking..
>  
> So, instead of just a definition of voting X over Y, it would be a definition of voting X over Y in whatever voting system the definition is currently being applied to.
>  
> Then the definition could be used when discussing any voting system, even one whose balloting isn't used anywhere.
>  
> Michael Ossipoff