In its simplest form, each candidate has an electoral power based on the number of first place votes he or she receives during the election, rather than transferring surplus votes to another candidate or having them thrown away. To give an example, if we have five candidates and fifteen voters, we could end up with the following
A:5 B:4 C:3 D:2 E:1
Candidates A+B, A+C, or A+D+E (for example) can pass legislation because they represent a majority of voters -- 9 for A+B, and 8 for the latter two -- while C+D+E cannot, because they represent only 6 voters. Theoretically, a well-beloved candidate could rule by fiat until the next election if he or she received 50%+1 first place votes, though this would probably be unlikely in any election with reasonable numbers of voters and candidates.
Anyway, I know there has to be some info on the properties, advantages, disadvantages, and strategic considerations of such a method, so any info or web links would be appreciated. Thanks!
Mike Rouse [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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