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Paul de Vrieze wrote: [Sun May 01 2005, 04:56:48PM EDT] |
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> On Sunday 01 May 2005 10:13, Donnie Berkholz wrote: |
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> |
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> > |
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> > Perhaps a voting method that regular people can actually understand |
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> > intuitively would be more helpful. |
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> |
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> I agree completely that we don't want the debian voting system (whatever |
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> called). I think it should have the following constraints: |
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> - The preferred candidates get chosen |
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> - Even if there are not enough candidates, bad ones shouldn't get chosen. |
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Satisfying these two points is the reason for using a Condorcet voting |
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method instead of a plurality method. |
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Say there are 5 people running for a position. 1 person gets 21% of |
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the vote and 4 people split the remaining votes evenly. In that case, |
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the 1 person gets elected in the plurality system, even if that person |
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is deplored by 79% of the voters. |
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The plurality system encourages people to vote for 1 of 2 parties, |
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since they are aware that voting for their preferred party has no |
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effect but to increase the chances of the worst candidate. For |
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example, nobody ever votes for the Green party (U.S.) because they |
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know they must vote for the Reps or Dems to get the lesser of two |
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evils. |
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The Condorcet method instead allows the candidate that is most |
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preferred over the other candidates to win. Though it isn't instantly |
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intuitive, it only takes a few minutes to understand how it works. |
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> - The process should be simple and transparent. |
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IMHO the Condorcet method is that, once you take a few minutes to read |
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about it. However the only voting method people know intuitively is |
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plurality. If the primary constraint for Gentoo elections is "It must |
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be brainless" then you will never satisfy the first two constraints |
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you mentioned, even if you intuitively think you are. |
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Regards, |
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Aron |
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|
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-- |
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Aron Griffis |
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Gentoo Linux Developer |
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