status: https://faculty.washington.edu/kerim/nomic/cases/#3749
(This document is informational only and contains no game actions).
=============================== CFJ 3749 ===============================
The ordered list [Agora] is a valid vote in the ongoing ADoP
election.
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Caller: Jason Cobb
Judge: Trigon
Judgement: TRUE
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History:
Called by Jason Cobb: 01 Jul 2019 02:33:16
Assigned to Trigon: 03 Jul 2019 00:52:04
Judged TRUE by Trigon: 07 Jul 2019 01:28:52
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Caller's Arguments:
CFJ 3746 has been resolved such that the Agoran Decision for the
election has a voting method of instant runoff. Therefore, by Rule 2528,
the valid votes include "the ordered lists of entities". [Agora] is an
ordered list of entities. Therefore, [Agora] is a valid vote in this
election.
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Caller's Evidence:
Excerpt from Rule 2528 ("Voting Methods"):
The valid votes on an Agoran decision are:
1. PRESENT;
2. The valid conditional votes, as defined by rules of power at least
that of this rule; and
3. For an instant runoff decision, the ordered lists of entities.
4. For any other decision, the valid options.
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Judge Trigon's Arguments:
This case requires a look at the exact wording several rules that define
the terminology of elections. Two terms are of particular note: "valid
vote" and "valid option".
"Every Agoran Decision has a set of... valid votes" per rule 2528 and
ballots cast on an Agoran Decision must "identif[y] a valid vote" per
rule 683.
Similarly, "[E]very Agoran Decision has a list of valid options" which
are defined by other rules. Rule 2154 defines the valid options of
elections: "the candidates for the election".
Rule 2528 also states that for instant runoff decisions, "ordered lists
of entities [are valid votes]." Notice how this part of the rule does
not mention valid options.
This all leads to the broader question of whether or not *any* list of
entities can be a valid vote, even if one or more of those entities is
not necessarily a valid option. For clarity on this front, we can look
to rule 955.
Our answer is given in the last sentence of the numbered list in that
rule: "If an entity that is part of a valid vote is not a valid option
at the end of the voting period, or disqualified by the rule providing
for the decision, then that entity is eliminated prior to the
first round of counting."
These excerpts all point to the fact that any list of entities,
including the one described by the CFJ statement, namely [Agora], is a
valid vote; however, they are effectively similar to PRESENT in that
they count as ballot they describe but are immediately discarded.
I judge TRUE.
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