At 02:09 AM 6/8/2005, Jobst Heitzig wrote:
[I had written:]
> So promoting Approval voting might be as simple as pointing out the
> injustice of it. I can't see any reason for *preventing* a person from
> voting for more than one candidate. Allowing it merely adds to the
> freedom of the voter without complicating the process. For me, the
> question is "Why not" rather than "Why?"
I agree completely! And once that has been widely accepted, more sophisticated
methods can be promoted which try to improve approval voting by adding
additional safety measures -- such as the additional pairwise comparision
in DFC.
One problem, I think, has been the existence of some state Supreme Court
legal precedent that Approval Voting violates the "one person - one vote"
principle. As I pointed out, and as is discussed in the League of Women
Voters election methods paper, the precedent is a bit unclear. Does anyone
know more about the legal status of this?
(It is patently obvious to me that Approval does not violate the *intent*
of the principle, merely the form of words which that intent took. Good
legal analysis would therefore consider it lawful, in my opinion; or where
that principle is enshrined in law, it might be possible to amend the law
to make the intent clear. It would not really be a change in intention,
only in effect.)
----
Election-methods mailing list - see http://electorama.com/em for list info
