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Recent Posts
- A Notion of Motion 2017-05-19
- The Way Forward 2017-03-01
- 2015 Electoral-Reform Commitment 2017-02-28
Blog Archives
A preferential-ballot system as a step along the way to PR?
A preferential system as proposed here (Condorcet/Ranked Pairs), while not PR, solves many problems of FPTP that drive many to ask for PR in the first place. But, for those who are nevertheless persuaded that PR is still the desired … Continue reading
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How does Condorcet compare with BC-STV?
First, a fuller description of the former BC-STV proposal: While I’m not enthusiastic about proportional representation in general, multiple-representation schemes such as BC-STV diminish some of my concerns. Of particular favourable note here, is that votes are cast for individuals … Continue reading
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What voting system should we use?
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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Campaigning for your next-preference support?
Another significant consequence of preferential voting (Condorcet methods, particularly, IRV less so) is that second- and subsequent-preferences are important. This fundamentally changes the game. Parties and candidates will of course continue to court voters for their first-preference votes, but if … Continue reading
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What about strategic voting?
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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Won’t we elect only centrists, who will simply agree on everything?
This is similar to the “favouring middle-of-the-road candidates” question, absent the pejorative notion of “favouring.” The idea here again seems to be that non-centrist voters would tend to find common cause in centrist candidates so that, when there is no … Continue reading
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Doesn’t preferential voting favour middle of the road candidates?
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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Doesn’t a preferential voting system mean more minority governments?
Not necessarily. One method, say FPTP, of electing a single-member electoral district versus a different method, say a preferential system, of electing a single-member electoral district, since they’re single-member elections in both cases, cannot in and of itself be a … Continue reading
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Didn’t BC have preferential voting before?
Yes, interestingly enough. From the Elections BC Website: “Alternative vote used for the first time in general election 12 June 1952. Voting age changed to 19 (SBC 1952 c.3). Doukhobor prohibition removed (SBC 1952 c.3). “Alternative vote used for second … Continue reading
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