Hi, Sorry I don't have time to read the replies to Curt's comments about the Electoral College. I just want to point out a couple of possibilities that leave the EC as is, yet could break up the "two party, one candidate per party" presidential system:
1. Suppose each state uses a good Condorcetian voting method (e.g., MAM), and suppose each state allows each candidate to withdraw from contention after the votes are cast (after the votes are published in a downloadable electronic format, but before the votes are officially tallied). Then each party would have incentives to nominate more than one candidate, since by nominating more than one they would increase the turnout of their diverse supporters and they wouldn't have to guess months before the election which one of their contenders will be the most popular in November. 2. Suppose a state adopts a good Condorcetian voting method and also passes a law which says that, when tallying the votes to award their EC delegates winner-takes-all, they will also count the votes of any other state that uses the same voting system and passes the same law. This would allow multiple states to become a large bloc, similar to the way several states have banded together to make the Super Tuesday primary. This could become like a seed crystal, since other states could easily join the bloc. Once the bloc grows to include more than half of the EC delegates, all the remaining states would immediately want to join too. Then the EC is effectively eliminated, without a constitutional amendment. > Hi, new subscriber - I'm glad this list is turning out to be > tolerant to discussing election method subjects other than > Condorcet approaches. I have a more general question about the > Electoral College (EC). > > Due to the fact that the EC requires a majority (not plurality) to > win outright, and due to the winner-take-all nature of the states, > this is how the EC encourages a two-party system. -snip- --Steve ---- Election-methods mailing list - see http://electorama.com/em for list info