Not really American, but an idea I had...
       |           

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?
March 28, 2024, 10:00:45 AM
News: Election Simulator 2.0 Released. Senate/Gubernatorial maps, proportional electoral votes, and more - Read more

  Talk Elections
  Presidential Elections - Analysis and Discussion
  Presidential Election Process (Moderator: muon2)
  Not really American, but an idea I had...
« previous next »
Pages: [1]
Author Topic: Not really American, but an idea I had...  (Read 7254 times)
Хahar 🤔
Xahar
Atlas Legend
*****
Posts: 41,731
Bangladesh


Political Matrix
E: -6.77, S: 0.61

WWW Show only this user's posts in this thread
« on: August 05, 2008, 01:14:12 PM »
« edited: August 05, 2008, 01:26:31 PM by ޒަހަރު) زَهَـرْ) »

This is a smorgasbord of several different electoral systems; those of Austria, Baden-Württemberg, Australia, and Scotland, along with some innovations of my own. It works as follows:

For the sake of convenience, Germany will be used in this example.

Voters have two votes: one for candidates, and one for parties. Both the candidates and the parties are ranked.

There are two levels of electoral constituencies: the states and the divisions. The size and area of these are fixed. At an election, each constituency is given a certain number of seats, directly proportional to the number of votes cast. The top finishers in that constituency, using STV, are then declared elected in a number equal to the number of seats apportioned to that constituency.

The result in each state is then made proportional through MMP, with a threshold of 5%. Unlike normal MMP, parties are eliminated and their vote redistributed, as in STV, until all parties have at least 5%. Parties do not put forth lists; rather, the unelected candidates from each party are ranked according to how close they were to winning. The same process is repeated at the federal level.

Vacancies are filled in different ways depending on how the seat is apportioned. For district seats, a countback is done without the candidate in question. For national and state seats, the next person on the party list fills the vacancy. There are no by-elections.

There are several advantages to this method:

  • It ensures proportionality.
  • It allows for independent candidacies.
  • It is unsusceptible to gerrymandering.
  • It does not waste votes, despite having a threshold.
  • It preserves constituencies, and the resulting link between voter and legislator.

However, it is quite complex, both to the average voter who sees a strange ballot, and to the more educated voter who wishes to understand the electoral process.

Thoughts?
Logged
Smid
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 6,151
Australia


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2008, 01:13:46 AM »

I don't mind the Australian federal system - where the House of Representatives is elected in single member electorates, based on population, using instant runoff voting, while the Senate is elected on multi-member electorates with an equal number of Senators per state, who are elected using a single transferrable vote method.

This means that it is more common for a party to be able to form a Government in the House of Reps with a majority and therefore the opinion of the majority is typically followed in terms of who shall form Government, while minority opinions are able to be represented in the Senate, typically leaving minor parties with the balance of power.
Logged
Verily
Cuivienen
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 16,663


Political Matrix
E: 1.81, S: -6.78

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2008, 02:28:38 PM »

However, it is quite complex, both to the average voter who sees a strange ballot, and to the more educated voter who wishes to understand the electoral process.

It is also quite complex for the purpose of counting votes, to the point of probably requiring three or four days to do a complete count. You will also, I suspect, find a lot of resistance to the idea of "losing" candidates still making it into the legislature. That was the main tactic employed by the anti-PR forces in the Ontario referendum last year.
Logged
defe07
Jr. Member
***
Posts: 961


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #3 on: October 17, 2008, 10:44:45 PM »

At an election, each constituency is given a certain number of seats, directly proportional to the number of votes cast.
[/quote]

So does this mean that each constituency (state and division) would get a number of seats according to the popular vote in the last election? Does this mean that population wouldn't be considered for allocating seats to the states and divisions?
Logged
Хahar 🤔
Xahar
Atlas Legend
*****
Posts: 41,731
Bangladesh


Political Matrix
E: -6.77, S: 0.61

WWW Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #4 on: October 18, 2008, 02:32:47 PM »

At an election, each constituency is given a certain number of seats, directly proportional to the number of votes cast.

So does this mean that each constituency (state and division) would get a number of seats according to the popular vote in the last election? Does this mean that population wouldn't be considered for allocating seats to the states and divisions?
[/quote]

It would be based on the current election, actually. And yes.
Logged
defe07
Jr. Member
***
Posts: 961


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #5 on: October 18, 2008, 05:22:41 PM »

However, it is quite complex, both to the average voter who sees a strange ballot, and to the more educated voter who wishes to understand the electoral process.

It is also quite complex for the purpose of counting votes, to the point of probably requiring three or four days to do a complete count. You will also, I suspect, find a lot of resistance to the idea of "losing" candidates still making it into the legislature. That was the main tactic employed by the anti-PR forces in the Ontario referendum last year.

But there tends to be a sports analogy. You know, many sports have wild card spots. Wild cards tend to go to the teams that didn't come 1st but go to teams that did the best out of all the teams that came in 2nd.
Logged
Sir Coffeebeans
coffeebeans
Rookie
**
Posts: 137
Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #6 on: January 19, 2009, 02:00:44 PM »

It seems that sports have been able to create a better organized gov't than our own, with courts, rules, and everything in between.
Logged
Meeker
meekermariner
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 14,164


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #7 on: January 20, 2009, 03:23:43 AM »

This would be a good idea if we didn't have to explain it to everyone.
Logged
Antonio the Sixth
Antonio V
Atlas Institution
*****
Posts: 57,960
United States


Political Matrix
E: -7.87, S: -3.83

P P
Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #8 on: February 22, 2009, 03:39:02 PM »

This is a smorgasbord of several different electoral systems; those of Austria, Baden-Württemberg, Australia, and Scotland, along with some innovations of my own. It works as follows:

For the sake of convenience, Germany will be used in this example.

Voters have two votes: one for candidates, and one for parties. Both the candidates and the parties are ranked.

There are two levels of electoral constituencies: the states and the divisions. The size and area of these are fixed. At an election, each constituency is given a certain number of seats, directly proportional to the number of votes cast. The top finishers in that constituency, using STV, are then declared elected in a number equal to the number of seats apportioned to that constituency.

The result in each state is then made proportional through MMP, with a threshold of 5%. Unlike normal MMP, parties are eliminated and their vote redistributed, as in STV, until all parties have at least 5%. Parties do not put forth lists; rather, the unelected candidates from each party are ranked according to how close they were to winning. The same process is repeated at the federal level.

Vacancies are filled in different ways depending on how the seat is apportioned. For district seats, a countback is done without the candidate in question. For national and state seats, the next person on the party list fills the vacancy. There are no by-elections.

There are several advantages to this method:

  • It ensures proportionality.
  • It allows for independent candidacies.
  • It is unsusceptible to gerrymandering.
  • It does not waste votes, despite having a threshold.
  • It preserves constituencies, and the resulting link between voter and legislator.

However, it is quite complex, both to the average voter who sees a strange ballot, and to the more educated voter who wishes to understand the electoral process.

Thoughts?

I agree, German system is a very good system. France should also imitate it.
Logged
Pages: [1]  
« previous next »
Jump to:  


Login with username, password and session length

Terms of Service - DMCA Agent and Policy - Privacy Policy and Cookies

Powered by SMF 1.1.21 | SMF © 2015, Simple Machines

Page created in 0.032 seconds with 12 queries.