Blog Archives

How does FPTP work?

Posted on 2014-09-26 by Ron McKinnon
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What voting system should we use?

Posted on 2014-09-06 by Ron McKinnon
The answer here is: it depends on the kind of decision we’re making. FPTP works well for binary decisions: Yea vs Nay, or one vs another. Do we adopt the motion, or not? Do we adjourn, or not? Do we … Continue reading →
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What about strategic voting?

Posted on 2014-09-06 by Ron McKinnon
We’re all familiar with strategic voting in our FPTP system; it goes like this: We’ve got candidates , , and ; “We” really don’t want to win, and we foresee that while each of and will get significant portions of … Continue reading →
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Doesn’t preferential voting favour middle of the road candidates?

Posted on 2014-09-06 by Ron McKinnon
It first bears asking what does it mean to “favour” a candidate? The implication is that a preferential ballot confers an unfair benefit to such candidates, somehow putting a thumb on the scale to fudge the outcome on their behalf. … Continue reading →
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