Ranked Voting / Instant Run-Off Voting

(FOR CONSIDERATION*)

In ranked voting / instant run-off voting the most widely supported candidate wins, regardless of party affiliation; there's no vote splitting — no votes are needlessly wasted; and, perhaps best of all, strong, independent candidates can go for the win *without worrying about spoiling the results.**

How it Works*


Rather than being limited to just one—potentially vote-splitting—selection, voters indicate their 1st, 2nd, (...) preferences on the ballot,

And the winner — who almost always has more than 50% constituent support — is arrived at by sorting and counting the ballots according to each voter's favourite choice, then dropping the least competitive candidates from the contest (one at a time), and transferring those ballots to those voters' next favourite picks.


i.e.*It simulates an exhaustive run-off election on a single ballot. 

(Hence the name, instant run-off.)




(From FairVote.org)

*

• the autonomy of the individual MP isn't weakened by bureaucratic (back-room) party patronage.

• it strongly favours straight-talking, underdog pragmatists over narrow-minded, negative, wedge-issue partisans.

• Think Abraham Lincoln: not most 1860 Republicans' first choice — but overwhelmingly liked the most by the most, all things considered. (A middle of the road pragmatist with broad enough appeal to hold the union together through 4 years of catastrophic, ideological war.)

• ** re. strong independent candidates: This point probably shouldn't be underestimated when considering why so many elected representatives oppose the issue: i.e. It undermines the importance of Party affiliation, and encourages popular pragmatists to put them out of a job.

• Contrary to popular belief, computerized voting is completely unnecessary.* (All you need is good, old-fashioned, grade-2 addition; plus a pencil, some paper, and a conference call between polls to tally each round's results.)

[ *Hand counting is simplified by sorting the ballots into individual favourite stacks — according to each voter's favourite pick (the first-round totals for each candidate); counting, double-checking and recording these totals, and, the total required for a majority; and, from then on out, keeping the transferred and sorted ballot stacks (from each round's eliminated candidate) separate from the larger, previous stacks. (Until the new totals are double-checked.)

(...You only sort, recount and double-check the eliminated candidate's ballots, then, add those ballots to the previous totals.)]

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[ THE DOWNSIDE?? Better independent candidates and a weakened party system could lead to more minority governments. (Not necessarily a bad thing -- IF the quality, integrity and autonomy/independence of individual MPs is broadly improved.) ] 

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(Thanks for your interest,
 And all the best.)