Entries Categorized with "Instant Runoff Voting"
- 50 of 174 results
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From the "Non-Majority Rule" Desk: Fake Third Party Candidates, Meek's Mixed Support, and the Unusual Cases of Illinois and Minnesota
- Posted: October 13, 2010
- Author(s): The Non-Majority Rule Desk, Chris Marchsteiner
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting
There’s no shortage of news at the non-majority rule desk. The lead story this week was yet another instance of faux third party candidates, this time in a New Jersey U.S. House race.
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From the "Non-Majority Rule" Desk: Independent Presidential Candidates, the Spoiler Effect, and Party Betrayal
- Posted: October 5, 2010
- Author(s): The Non-Majority Rule Desk, Chris Marchsteiner
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting
It was another notable week here at the non-majority desk, including nationally prominent ruminations about third parties and independents, including Thomas Friedman of the New York Times predicting an independent presidential bid in 2012 and FiveThirtyEight.com's Nate Silver suggesting such a campaign could succeed.
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From the "Non-Majority Rule" Desk: Undemocratic Rules Produce Undemocratic Results -- Even With Majority Victories
- Posted: September 28, 2010
- Author(s): The Non-Majority Rule Desk, Chris Marchsteiner
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting
This week at the Non-Majority Rule desk I’m going to focus on lessons from two important developments in statewide races: the U.S. Senate race in Alaska and the race for governor in New York. Recent developments in the two states’ races demonstrate another aspect of the dangers of plurality voting: How it can shortcut democracy even when majority victories are ultimately produced.
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From the "Non-Majority Rule" Desk: Murkowski's Write-in Candidacy and Other Significant Third Party Candidates
- Posted: September 22, 2010
- Author(s): The Non-Majority Rule Desk, Chris Marchsteiner
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting
Third party and independent candidates continue to have a major impact on several statewide races for governor and U.S. Senate. Indeed, there are 8 states where candidates are polling at more than 10% - the latest being Lisa Murkowski, the sitting U.S. Senator from Alaska who lost her Republican primary, but who now is pursuing a write-in candidacy. At least one race might join them – New York, where Rick Lazio lost the Republican primary, but remains the Conservative Party nominee. Voters certainly seem hungry for more options – a Gallup poll found that 58% support a strong third party in the United States. Here’s a rundown of some of the week’s news from the “non-majority rule” desk.
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Non-Majority Winners and Partisan Manipulation in the Gubernatorial Races and Primaries
- Posted: September 15, 2010
- Author(s): Chris Marchsteiner
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting
Building on previous blogs about non-majority rules in primaries and prospective ones in this November’s general elections, FairVote plans a weekly update from the “non-majority rule desk” – with an understanding that there’s a solution available and being put into practice in a growing number of communities: instant runoff voting.
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Without Majority Rule, Partisans Game the Vote -- Supressing Voter Choice
- Posted: September 8, 2010
- Author(s): The Non-Majority Rule Desk, Chris Marchsteiner
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting
2010 is a particularly important election. 37 states will elect governors to run their states – often with national implications through the central role governors typically will have in redistricting before the 2012 elections. Control of both the U.S. House and Senate are in play, with the outcome potentially hinging on votes in a handful of states.
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North Carolina uses IRV for the first time in a statewide election
- Posted: September 1, 2010
- Author(s): Chris Marchsteiner
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting, Reforms
North Carolina will make history November 2 as the first state to use instant runoff voting (IRV) in a statewide election in the modern era. As reported in The Times-News, thirteen candidates have filed to run in the race to fill a vacancy on the state Court of Appeals. Additionally, three counties in the state will be using IRV to fill vacancies in three Superior Court races.
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Is 23% enough to be an Arizona Congressman? Non-majority rules in August 25 primaries in Arizona, Florida and Vermont
- Posted: August 26, 2010
- Author(s): The Non-Majority Rule Desk, Cathy Le
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting, Reforms
This month I have blogged on state primaries held on August 3rd and August 10th about a serious, if often overlooked problem in our politics: non-majority winners in primary elections held with plurality voting.
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Reasons to Reconsider Plurality Voting
- Posted: August 18, 2010
- Author(s): Cathy Le
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting, Reforms
Nominating contests for congressional and gubernatorial races often attract many candidates running to be the nominee for their respective party. When more than two candidates compete under a plurality voting system, elections can be won with only a minority percent of the vote and top contenders or ‘spoilers’ can end up splitting the vote, handing the election to a weak nominee.
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Why the Condorcet criterion is less important than it seems
- Posted: August 10, 2010
- Author(s): Alec Slatky
- Categories: Instant Runoff Voting
A frequent criticism of instant runoff voting is the fact candidates who beat all others in head-to-head competitions can actually lose. But if such candidates win all the time, there would be unintended consequences.