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Poll

What do you think of our voting system?

Condorcet voting is a better system than Plurality voting.
5 (27.8%)
Plurality voting is a better system than Condorcet voting.
1 (5.6%)
Either way is fine by me.
2 (11.1%)
I get the general idea of what Condorcet voting is all about.
3 (16.7%)
I don't understand Condorcet voting at all.
0 (0%)
I get the gist of Condorcet voting, but the results graph we use confuses me.  I can't tell who's winning by it.
3 (16.7%)
Condorcet... isn't that a bird of some kind?
1 (5.6%)
I ate a condorcet cookie once.
1 (5.6%)
Huh?  What voting?  We have voting?
2 (11.1%)

Total Members Voted: 8

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Author Topic: Our voting system  (Read 854 times)

Offline Khablan

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Our voting system
« on: July 16, 2007, 11:27:58 PM »
Since elections are coming up, now's a good time to bring this up.  I'm curious to see how people feel about our voting system.  In case anyone's memory needs refreshing - In Condorset voting (our current system), we rate the candidates in order of preference.  In plurality voting, we vote for a single candidate.

There seem to be a few who fully understand how the votes are tabulated and who can look at the results graph and be able to recognize from it who's ahead and who's behind.  Others are completely confused by that graph. 

So what's your opinion?  Do you like it the way it is?  If you don't, then do you dislike the voting system entirely, or just the fact that you can't understand the results graph?

(And if you haven't registered to vote, be sure to do that here before the voting begins!) 
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Offline Trey

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Re: Our voting system
« Reply #1 on: July 17, 2007, 03:04:39 AM »
You know, Mama Khab, I thought I understood the Condorcet results.  Then I looked at the SDE graph.  What??  Good point; we need a sticky on the elections page explaining not just the voting system, but the results screen.
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potential, no matter who they are. The way to do that is to take power away from those who hoard it. To challenge vested interests. To break down privilege. To clear out the bottlenecks in our society that block opportunity and block progress. And so give everyone a chance to live the life they want." - Nick Clegg, Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Offline Gulliver

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Re: Our voting system
« Reply #2 on: July 17, 2007, 03:12:25 AM »
Well, I can explain the tables from the last vote right now. They represent a concise way of keeping track of the pairwise contests and their results.

PoDSolySD
PoD01713
Soly707
SD12170

PoDSolySD
PoD0101
Soly-100-10
SD-1100

This is left beats top, so the numbers in the first table represent the number of ballots in which the candidate at left is ranked higher than the candidate at top.

The second table represents the outcome of each pairwise (one on one) contest between the candidates. The number is the margin of votes between the two. Blue and positive means that the candidate at left won. Red and negative means the candidate at top one. The winner is the candidate who wins each pairwise contest and is thus overall preferred. So the candidate for which all the numbers to the right of their name at the left are blue and all the numbers under their name at top are red is the winner, in this case PoD.

Some spaces are left blank because a candidate cannot run against themselves.

If you want me to post this, all you have to do is ask.

Also, I should point out that the fact that Condorcet is preferential is not what defines it as Khablan's explanation might lead you to believe. IRV is as well. What defines Condorcet is that you use the ranked ballots to find the Condorcet winner, the candidate who is preferred by a majority compared to each other candidate.

EDIT: If one is curious and inclined, they can read an explanation with an example here. And as per Trey's suggestion, I have modified the information thread. It should now contain everything that you need to know.
« Last Edit: July 17, 2007, 04:12:47 AM by Pragmia »
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Offline Allama

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Re: Our voting system
« Reply #3 on: July 17, 2007, 04:18:49 PM »
The condorcet voting procedure can be confusing at first, but now that I understand it fully I prefer it wholeheartedly.

Admittedly, I feel slightly uncomfortable with such a ranking system as it goes from candidates you know wondering "Why didn't that person vote for me?" to thinking "Why the hell am I LAST?!?"  This is offset, in my opinion, by the fact that it gives us a more accurate picture of who is the preferred candidate and there is no such thing as a so-called "throw-away" vote.
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