On 6/8/2012 4:33 AM, Jameson Quinn wrote:
All PR systems have complicated rules. But PAL representation
<http://wiki.electorama.com/wiki/PAL_representation> is actually very
simple for the voter; they need only cast a single vote, on a ballot
which explicitly lists only a manageable dozen or so candidates
(though it allows write-ins for a broader number).
= = = = =
[Ken B.] Are you conflating the voting rules with the vote counting
rules? Voting in PR systems is simple for voters, whether it's "rank as
many candidates as you want" (for STV) or "vote for the party you
prefer" (List PR), for example. It's the post-voting counting and
"winner" rules that are more or less complicated.
What's also more or less complicated for voters is understanding how to
make their choice(s). If I read the description of PAL correctly, a
voter has to tease out each candidate's ranked party preferences and
compare them. In turn, that seems to require studying and comparing
multiple parties' platforms (which voters would do in a List PR system,
too). I'm not evaluating PAL, just saying that what voters have to do
ahead of the election isn't necessarily a simple task.
- Ken Bearman, Minneapolis MN USA
----
Election-Methods mailing list - see http://electorama.com/em for list info
