Kevin (and interested others), I'm interested in reaction to this suggestion for a method: Voters fill out ratings ballots with 4 or more fixed slots (or maybe with the number of slots being the number of candidates plus 1 or 2). (1) If the candidate T that is top-rated on the most ballots has a top-ratings (TR) score higher than T's maximum pairwise oppostion (PO) score, then elect T. (2) If not, promote on all ballots any candidates in the next-lowest rating slot to Top and recalculate TR and PO scores accordingly. (3) Repeat steps (1) and (2) until there is a winner. End.
This is an extension to 4 or more slots of my Jan.2008 idea for modifying Majority Choice Approval (MCA), which uses a 3-slot ratings ballot. The idea is to keep the Bucklin virtues of meeting Majority for Solid Coalitions, Favourite Betrayal (and Sincere Favourite) and Minimal Defense and Plurality (and my suggested "Strong Minimal Defense")*, while trading away Later-no-Help for Independence from Irrelevant Ballots (IIB). As you know I think it is better that LNHarm and LNHelp be in approximate probabilistic ballance rather than there be either strong incentive to truncate or a random-fill incentive, so therefore I regard the "trade-off" I referred to as really a win-win. Chris Benham * Strong Minimal Defense: if more voters "vote for" (meaning rank or rate above bottom) X and not Y than vote for Y, then Y can't win. Get the name you always wanted with the new y7mail email address. www.yahoo7.com.au/mail ---- Election-Methods mailing list - see http://electorama.com/em for list info