On Nov 1, 2009, at 8:28 PM, Raph Frank wrote:
I made an attempt to create a basic explanation on an earlier post
to this list:
http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
msg04195.html
which says:
One of the hardest parts about PR-STV is actually explaining it.
Anyway, this was an approach I was thinking of. I think it hits the
main points by covering the reasons rather than the detailed maths.
Most people in PR-STV countries understand the method, as they
experience it from a voter's perspective, rather than a counter's
perspective.
PR-STV is based on 4 main principles:
1) Each voter gets 1 vote and they can vote for any candidate they
want.
** All votes are equal. **
2) The 5 candidates who get the most votes get a seat. I am
assuming 5 seats are to be filled, but the system works for any
number.
3) If you vote for a losing candidate, your vote is transferred to
your next choice This reason for this rule is is so that you can
safely give your first choice to your favourite even if he is a
weak candidate. If he doesn't win, your vote will be transferred to
your next highest choice, until it gets to a candidate who can win
a seat.
** Voting for a weak candidate doesn't mean you are "throwing your
vote away". **
4) If you vote for a candidate who gets more votes than he needs,
the surplus is transferred to your next choice.
whose *ballot* gets their vote transferred? it shouldn't matter in
which order the counting is. if my ballot is needed to give the
candidate what he needs, and your ballot isn't needed, then you got
to influence the election of your next choice, but i did not. that
can't be fair.
--
r b-j [email protected]
"Imagination is more important than knowledge."
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