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Preferential voting is a voting system used in elections where voters are allowed to rank candidates in order of preference. This means that instead of simply selecting one candidate, voters can indicate which candidate they would prefer to win if their first choice does not succeed.
One example of preferential voting is the single transferable vote (STV) system, which is used in several countries around the world, including Australia, Ireland, and Malta. In STV elections, voters rank candidates in order of preference on a ballot paper. If a candidate receives a majority of first preference votes, they are declared the winner. If no candidate receives a majority, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their votes are redistributed to the remaining candidates according to the preferences indicated on the ballot papers. This process continues until one candidate receives a majority of votes and is declared the winner.
Another example of preferential voting is the alternative vote (AV) system, which is used in some parliamentary elections in the United Kingdom. In AV elections, voters also rank candidates in order of preference on a ballot paper. If a candidate receives a majority of first preference votes, they are declared the winner. If no candidate receives a majority, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and their votes are redistributed to the remaining candidates according to the preferences indicated on the ballot papers. This process continues until one candidate receives a majority of votes and is declared the winner.
There are several benefits to using preferential voting systems. One of the main benefits is that it allows voters to express their preferences more fully, as they can rank candidates in order of preference rather than simply selecting one candidate. This can lead to more representative outcomes, as it ensures that the candidate who is ultimately elected has the broadest possible support among voters.
Preferential voting systems can also help to reduce the influence of minor parties and independent candidates, as their votes are more likely to be redistributed to major parties if they are eliminated from the race. This can help to create a more stable political environment and reduce the risk of splinter parties or independent candidates holding the balance of power.
Overall, preferential voting is a valuable tool for ensuring that elections are fair and representative, and it is used in a number of countries around the world to this end.
Preferential Voting
Retrieved 30 August 2017. It is generally considered to be the absolute lowest number that elects the correct number of candidates to fill the available seats, at least based on the original number of votes cast. The Hare system has the inherent disadvantage that a random proce ss is involved in transferring any excess votes from candidates who have been elected; different choices can affect the results of the election. Retrieved 4 November 2021. If you prefer to watch a video of the previous example being worked out, here it is.
Furthermore, STV requires multi-member districts MMDs. In deciding upon a winner, there is always one main goal: to reflect the preferences of the people in the most fair way possible. She gets enough of the transferred votes to be elected. As the counting continues, the votes are redistributed between the candidates based on their preferential ranking until one candidate achieves the majority. If that candidate is eliminated, the vote is transferred to the next-preferred candidate rather than being discarded; if the second choice is eliminated, the procedure is iterated to lower-ranked candidates. As a matter of strategy, there is one basic rule: if you prefer one candidate to another, then you should rank the one above the other, or at least rank the one who is perferred. Now suppose that the results were announced, but election officials accidentally destroyed the ballots before they could be certified, and the votes had to be recast.
This can be done via an online or software-based digital voting system. An X there marks the second-preference candidate, etc. In large elections with many candidates, a computer may be required. Vote transfers from the victorious candidate to a candidate who has been eliminated are impossible, and reference must be made to the next marked preference, if any. Hamburgers now also has a surplus vote, but this does not matter, since the election is over. Any randomness may arise from the later preferences, if any, that may have to be used later.
In the ballot for the ACT election, voters are told they must mark at least five preferences if the ballot is to be counted. If a political party wins more than half the seats in the House of Assembly lower house then they form government. See A quota set lower than Droop is sometimes workable. Looking back at our preference table, how would our members vote if they only had two choices? This continues until a choice has a majority over 50%. This means that the highly preferred candidate must get more than 50 percent of the total formal votes.
Under STV, it is not necessary to be the most popular candidate in the district to be elected; it is only necessary to have quota or survive to the end when the remaining candidates are declared elected. The votes for where to hold the conference were: 51 25 10 14 1st choice Seattle Tacoma Puyallup Olympia 2nd choice Tacoma Puyallup Tacoma Tacoma 3rd choice Olympia Olympia Olympia Puyallup 4th choice Puyallup Seattle Seattle Seattle Use the Borda count method to determine the winning town for the conference. In some STV variants, such as those used in the Republic of Ireland except Senate elections , Malta, and elsewhere, merely the next preference is examined. The Australian Electoral System: Origins, Variations, and Consequences. Voters mark first preference and can provide alternate preferences to be used if needed. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
In that example, Seattle had a majority of first-choice votes, yet lost the election! A company might eliminate unpopular designs then revote on the remaining. You may recall we did this earlier when determining the Condorcet Winner. On the other hand, putting up too many candidates might result in first-preference votes being spread too thinly among them, and consequently several potential winners with broad second-preference appeal may be eliminated before others are elected and their second-preference votes distributed. Retrieved 26 November 2022. Even if a voter marks many alternate preferences, the vote may still be found to be non-transferable, if at any point the vote needs to be transferred and all the preferences listed next have already been eliminated or elected.
Department of the Senate. Some say that the importance of quota is to set the amount of votes that are surplus; that is, the amount that should be transferred away from successful candidates. Parties with like-minded policies may also use this to exchange preferences in an effort support each other and encourage a stable two-party system. A four-seat district using the Hare quota sets quota as 25 percent of the valid votes; a four-seat district using the Droop quota sets the quota as one more than 20 percent of the valid votes. If no candidate gets the absolute majority, the officials will conduct a preference distribution by excluding the candidate with the least number of votes. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
