One approach to clones is to allow the voters to indicate them. One
approach is to use the preference strengths. Instead of voting
A1>A2>C>B the voter could vote A1>A2>>C>>B, which indicates that the
voter in some sense considers A1 and A2 to be clones from his/her
point of view.
(Btw, all the various clone criteria that require all voters to vote
in a certain way (to group the clones together) are quite theoretical
since of course it seldom happens that all voters vote that way.)
I might contribute one more method as a response to the challenge in
line with these thoughts, but not today. (Just to show that rankings
and clones may also live happily together :-).)
Juho
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