How Approving should Approval Voting Voters Be?

Ranked Choice and Approval Voting have emerged as the two leading alternative voting systems being advocated in the U.S. I've looked a bit at how Ranked Choice might perform, particularly in a polarized political climate, and found that, though it usually is better at picking broadly agreeable candidates than the Plurality system used in most… Continue reading How Approving should Approval Voting Voters Be?

Voting on Who Gets the Ventilator

The Situation: Limited Resources There is only one ventilator -- or liver, or hospital bed, or any other potentially life-saving resource -- at your hospital, but many people need it and are eligible for it. You are part of a group that must decide who gets the ventilator. You all agree about what kinds of… Continue reading Voting on Who Gets the Ventilator

Is Ranked Choice Voting the Hero We Need? (Part 2)

What if the Voters Want What Voters Actually Want? In our first look into this topic, we used a simple model of voters and candidates to find some mixed results for Ranked Choice voting. It performed better than the Plurality system that dominates US elections, but it was outclassed by its systems and didn't always… Continue reading Is Ranked Choice Voting the Hero We Need? (Part 2)

Is Ranked Choice Voting the Hero We Need? (Part 1)

Ranked Choice voting is having a bit of a moment in the public consciousness -- at least on the very handicapped scale of voting systems. It promises to avoid some of the unsavory outcomes that occur in the "First Past the Post" Plurality system used in the vast majority of U.S. elections by allowing voters… Continue reading Is Ranked Choice Voting the Hero We Need? (Part 1)