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[Phys-L] Re: A novel voting system



What do you do when the election comes out with a net negative vote
for each candidate? The least unpopular person gets elected?

That certainly would take the wind out of the winner's "mandate of the
people" sails! ;-)

In such a (maybe not so rare!) case, one could have the least unpopular
person take office, or, if there were more than two candidates, hold a
run-off election without the candidate having the most negative vote.
In either case, one would hope that there would be fresh faces running
in subsequent elections.

Also, in most jurisdictions, there is a procedure for disgruntled
citizenry to have a recall election.

The negative vote gives each voter greater choice in voting, which is
one of the desirable features of an election.

Rick Strickert
Austin, TX

-----Original Message-----
From: Forum for Physics Educators [mailto:PHYS-L@list1.ucc.nau.edu] On
Behalf Of Folkerts, Timothy J
Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2005 3:42 PM
To: PHYS-L@LISTS.NAU.EDU
Subject: Re: A novel voting system

If Ann, Bob, and Chuck are candidates, a voter who is
ambivalent toward Ann and Bob, but strongly opposes Chuck
could cast a negative vote against Chuck. Under a
"half vote" system, the voter would have to cast a
positive vote for either Ann or Bob (or not at all).

I certainly see the mathematical logic of negative votes, but I still
have a philosophical problem with negative votes. What do you do when
the election comes out with a net negative vote for each candidate? The
least unpopular person gets elected?

Besides, the BC system will still work in this scenario. If 40 % want
Chuck, and 60% want Anyone But Chuck, in the initial election Chuck get
40%, and Ann & Bob share the other 60%. Since no one won, the weaker of
A & B gets cut, and the other gets 60% to Chuck's 40%. Chuck is
defeated.

As the Wiki suggests, there are numerous variations with subtle
differences, but on the whole, I don't think a negative vote is needed
(or effective).

Tim F

P.S. I kept typing "electron" instead of "election". Perhaps that is a
subconscious desire to get back to physics ;-)
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