Instant Run-Off Voting (IRV)

[Frodo]

what does everyone think of using instant run-off voting to elect their legislators, nationwide?

http://www.fairvote.org/index.php?page=19 

[A18]

No, approval voting is the perfect system for legislative races.

For executive, maybe Condorcet.

[A18]

Oh, right, supposed to post an argument.

Here are a couple articles, someone let me know what you think:
http://www.electionmethods.org/IRVexample.htm
http://www.electionmethods.org/Approval.htm
http://www.electionmethods.org/CondorcetEx.htm

[JohnFKennedy]

IRV is simply another name for AVS (Alternative Vote System). We use it here on Atlas to elect people, same system as used for the Australian House of Representatives. It has its advantages and disadvantages.

If you want to know more about the system, I suggest checking out:

http://Http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk

[Richard]

NO!  Approval voting for the legislatures.

[John Dibble]

No, approval voting is the perfect system for legislative races.

[Jake]

Keep First Past the Post, Approval voting takes away negative campaigning to some degree, which takes away the fun of politics.

[A18]

Keep First Past the Post, Approval voting takes away negative campaigning to some degree, which takes away the fun of politics.

How? Negativity still hurts the opposition's approval rating.

[Jake]

and hurts the candidates approval also. 

[Hitchabrut]

No

[David S]

IRV is OK with me, although it might be more important for presidential elections. It allows people to vote for third party candidates without fear of the "wasted vote".

[muon2]

If a state wants a run-off they can use a "delayed" run-off, just as in the state of LA at present. The delay gives voters a chance to look more closely at the two top vote-getters.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Ranked pairs is better.

[Nym90]

Yes, it would be a better system. However, the cost of educating people about it needs to be taken into consideration.

[Colin]

Personally I like IRV, or Preferential Voting whatever you want to call it. I think it would help make America truely a multi-party republic. My only problem is that I don't know if it would mesh well with the Electoral Vote system that we currently use. I'm guessing if such a system would take effect in America the Electoral Votes of a certain state would go to the winner in the final round, if no one gets above 50% in the first round of voting.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

i really am surprised by the disparity between Republicans and Democrats on this issue, as indicated by the poll results.  i had no idea that partisanship extended even this far on what i perceived at first to be an innocuous topic.  why is this?  why are most Republicans so opposed to instant run-off voting and other electoral reforms?

Republicans oppose it because they  hope that the left has spoilers like Nader in 2000.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

IRV, Condorcet, and Approval voting would all be better than the system we have now, but I would prefer IRV the best of all of them.  I know it creates some strange strategic voting situation, but this is a danger (in one form or another) for all voting systems.

I don't particularly like Cordorcet because I think it allows for too great a possibility that compromise candidates will be elected without any real base of support (e.g. Ross Perot).   I fear that a Condorcet system will result in a hegemonic reign of centrists, rather than a healthy back-and-forth power shift among opposing viewpoints.

As for approval voting, well, I just can't quite get my head around it.  It could create a strange situation where, for instance, the result of an election turns on how many voters approved of BOTH Bush and Kerry, effectively wasting their vote.   Also, some voters have a much higher threshold for "approval" than others.  So I'm just not sure how it would shake out.

[2952-0-0]

Multi-member districts. IRV ok with me.

[Brandon H]

IRV is better than what we have now, but I would prefer Condorcet or Approval Voting. Someone already posted the link to electionmethods.org which explains the problems with IRV.

Educating the public will always be a problem, especially the 99% that voted for Bush or Kerry.

[A18]

i really am surprised by the disparity between Republicans and Democrats on this issue, as indicated by the poll results.  i had no idea that partisanship extended even this far on what i perceived at first to be an innocuous topic.  why is this?  why are most Republicans so opposed to instant run-off voting and other electoral reforms?

Did you even bother to read the link?

We're not opposed to 'other electoral reforms.' We're opposed this one, and stupid things like letting violent felons vote.