![]() However, this simplicity comes at a cost that frustrates some, as voters can’t differentiate between how much they like or dislike candidates.Īs you can see, each alternative voting method has its strengths and weaknesses, and none is perfect. It’s been shown to easily elect a “good” candidate and encourage competition. Studied since the 1970s and often cited as one of the best alternative voting methods, approval votingsimply asks voters to select all the candidates they approve of and the candidate with the most votes wins. It also hasn’t been implemented in an election yet, so some questions about implementation remain. It hasn’t yet been studied to determine its effectiveness at selecting a “good” winner, but it appears that it should lead to more competition and better winners. ![]() ![]() STAR (Score Then Automatic Runoff) VotingĪ newer method, STAR, allows voters to score each candidate on a scale and then the two candidates with the highest scores enter an automatic runoff, with voters’ ballots cast to whichever candidate they scored highest. But, it can be costly for cities with older voting machines to implement and can lead to unexpected results in tight races. IRV does a better job of electing voters’ true favorite candidates than our current method and encourages more competition. This process continues until a candidate receives a majority of the vote. If no candidate has a majority, the candidate with the least first-choice votes is eliminated, and those voters’ second-choice candidates receive their votes. IRV allows voters to rank the candidates in an election in order of preference, and the candidate with the majority of first-choice votes wins. Probably the only alternative voting method you’ve heard about, after being the first alternative voting method to be implemented at the state level. Instant Runoff Voting (IRV)/Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) So, how do alternative voting methods stack up against these criteria? Unfortunately, this isn’t an exhaustive academic paper on voting methods, so we’ll focus on just a few of the alternative voting methods with the most momentum right now. And even if the machine’s software supports a voting method, it may still require added complexities such as counting every ballot at one central location. Some voting methods require new software that election administrators don’t have. We also want the method to be simple to implement. For that reason, the voting method should remain as simple as possible so it isn’t an additional reason voters don’t turn out to the polls. There are already many barriers that discourage people from voting, from the complicated process to get registered or just the fact that life can be really busy. And greater diversity of candidates running means more choice for voters. By allowing candidates to see that they’re supported, even if they’re not the favorite, we encourage those candidates to run and express their opinions. They can even help candidates really see how much support they have from the electorate, even if they don’t win. Other voting methods allow voters to honestly vote for the candidates they like without fearing they’ll be a spoiler. Right now, independents can certainly run, but they face a low likelihood of winning as they’re labeled “spoilers” who will make it harder for the similar, mainstream candidate to win a race.īut it doesn’t have to be this way. Nearly 40 percent of voters in the United States identify as independent, yet there are only four independents serving in Congress. Ideally, the voting method should consistently elect a candidate who makes the average voter feel satisfied with the outcome- not one who leads to further political polarization. What we’re really asking is “How happy are voters with the chosen winner?” People often ask me what makes a “good” winner in an election, and they’re surprised when I share that it has nothing to do with the candidate and their platform. But as experts in this field, we’ve developed a short list of criteria that we find to be critical for any voting method. Well, that depends on who you ask and what criteria they’re using. But there are dozens of voting methods out there. I’ve found that people are ecstatic to hear that there is a way to do so simply by changing the way we vote. I spend a lot of time talking to people across the country about our work at The Center for Election Science to strengthen democracy. Thi s article is part three of a multi-part series about election reform originally published in Giving Compass.
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