[fvc-wat-disc] Discussion Night, 29 February at Egg Roll King

[Paul Schellenberg]

Hello Everyone,
	I oppose STV because of the role of surplus votes. Though there are different ways to deal the surplus votes, all of them appear to be flawed, as far as I can see.

Here is a way to implement STV that eliminates surplus votes.

A Variation on STV
===============

C - the number of candidates to be elected in the riding
B - total number of valid ballots 
election threshold - B/(C+1) + 1

INITIAL ITERATION:
Use voters' first choices to determine the candidates who meet the “election threshold” and are elected.
If C candidates are elected, the election is complete.
If no candidate has been elected, the candidate with the smallest number of votes is rejected. (This step is essential.)

GENERAL ITERATION:
Definition: We say a ballot is EXHAUSTED if every ranked candidate on the ballot has been rejected or has been elected.
Let B* = B - (the number of exhausted ballots)
Let C* =  C - (the number of elected candidates)
The new election threshold is B*/(C*+1) + 1
Definition: A candidate is said to be ELIGIBLE if he or she has not yet been elected or rejected.
EVERY non-exhausted ballot is assigned to the eligible candidate having the highest ranking.
Count the ballots for each eligible candidate.
Any candidate who meets the new election threshold B*/(C*+1) + 1 is declared elected. 
If C candidates are elected, the election is complete.
If no candidate is elected in this iteration, the candidate with the smallest number of votes is rejected. (This step is essential.)
Iterate.

(Note that, in each iteration, every ballot that is not exhausted is counted.)

Paul Schellenberg

On Feb 24, 2016, at 5:57 PM, Bob Jonkman <bjonkman at sobac.com> wrote:

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> 
> Hi Donald: Yes, please bring your sample ballots.
> 
> I've put the ballots from our mock election last Discussion Night at
> http://www.fairvotewrc.ca/resources/election-simulation/  I can add
> your sample ballots if you send me the files.
> 
> I didn't do a good job of counting the STV ballots from our mock
> election last time, so I want to count them again, this time following
> a recipe, or several different recipes, and seeing the difference.
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counting_single_transferable_votes
> 
> For those people not interested in the mechanics of counting ballots
> there's lots of other stuff to discuss, such as the apparent support
> for anything-but-FPTP from our Minister of Democratic Institutions:
> 
> http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/monsef-electoral-reform-changes-referendum-1.3428593
> 
> Or the renewed enthusiasm for electoral reform in Prince Edward Island:
> 
> http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/voting-reform-elections-meetings-1.3455222
> 
> See you all next Monday!
> 
> - --Bob.