Instant Runoff on
All-Star, MVP and other non-governmental ballots
August, 2001
The Center recently compiled the
votes from the 2001
Major League Baseball (MLB)
All Star game to show how plurality voting declares winners with far less
than a majorty of votes, as well as to help us
determine whether we should start an effort to reach out to MLB (and other
leagues that use plurarlity voting) about different voting methods, particularly
instant runoff voting. Such a campaign could extend to
votes for �most valuable player� (although most leagues already use
another rank-order system, the �Borda� count, for such elections), entertainment
polling on internet sites and other elections and
reader/viewer polls where there are typically more than two options.
Below are some of the more
telling results from the 2001 MLB All Star game vote. As you can see
below, players were winning with 25% of the total vote. Given that
some teams encourage �voting the home team slate�, plurality voting
gives players from these teams a better chance, as they don�t need a
majority to win.
Players from popular teams also
had the potential to be spoilers for their teammates, such as
Batista/Ripken (both receiving votes for top third baseman, American
League). Any suggestions of other elections/polls that might be good for outreach would be greatly
appreciated. This includes Internet opinion polls and balloting for
major league sports MVPs and All Stars.
Please e-mail us at [email protected] with
suggestions.
National League All-Star Game
Votes |
|
|
|
|
|
First
Base |
|
|
|
|
Player |
|
Votes |
|
Percentage of Total |
|
|
|
|
|
Helton
(Colorado) |
|
1,166,838 |
|
26.53% |
McGwire (St.
Louis) |
|
919,636 |
|
20.91% |
Bagwell
(Houston) |
|
632,114 |
|
14.37% |
Grace
(Arizona) |
|
387,768 |
|
8.82% |
Snow (San
Francisco) |
281,156 |
|
6.39% |
Klesko (San
Diego) |
|
257,972 |
|
5.87% |
Casey
(Cincinnati) |
|
255,407 |
|
5.81% |
Sexson
(Milwaukee) |
|
182,478 |
|
4.15% |
Zeile (New
York) |
|
166,738 |
|
3.79% |
Stairs
(Chicago) |
|
148,156 |
|
3.37% |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
4,398,263 |
|
100% |
|
|
|
|
|
Second Base |
|
|
|
|
Player |
|
Votes |
|
Percentage of Total |
|
|
|
|
|
Kent (San
Francisco) |
979,744 |
|
23.46% |
Biggio
(Houston) |
|
693,449 |
|
16.60% |
Bell
(Arizona) |
|
480,174 |
|
11.50% |
Walker
(Colorado) |
|
432,331 |
|
10.35% |
Alfonzo (New
York) |
|
355,427 |
|
8.51% |
Vina (St.
Louis) |
|
315,557 |
|
7.56% |
Young
(Chicago) |
|
248,574 |
|
5.95% |
Reese
(Cincinnati) |
|
246,145 |
|
5.89% |
Vidro
(Montreal) |
|
214,709 |
|
5.14% |
Veras (San
Diego) |
|
210,636 |
|
5.04% |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
4,176,746 |
|
100% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
American League All-Star Game
Votes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Third
Base |
|
|
|
|
Player |
|
Votes |
|
Percentage of Total |
|
|
|
|
|
Ripken
(Baltimore) |
|
1,108,383 |
|
21.62% |
Bell
(Seattle) |
|
1,063,772 |
|
20.75% |
Glaus
(Anaheim) |
|
1,039,155 |
|
20.27% |
Brosius (New
York) |
|
511,518 |
|
9.98% |
Fryman
(Cleveland) |
|
344,150 |
|
6.71% |
Batista
(Baltimore) |
|
300,193 |
|
5.86% |
Koskie
(Minnesota) |
|
242,008 |
|
4.72% |
Caminiti
(Texas) |
|
234,069 |
|
4.57% |
Chavez
(Oakland) |
|
151,643 |
|
2.96% |
Randa (Kansas
City) |
|
132,144 |
|
2.58% |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
5,127,035 |
|
100% |
|
|
|
|
|
Shortstop |
|
|
|
|
Player |
|
Votes |
|
Percentage of Total |
|
|
|
|
|
Rodriguez
(Texas) |
|
1,352,910 |
|
25.95% |
Jeter (New
York) |
|
1,088,985 |
|
20.89% |
Guillen
(Seattle) |
|
745,077 |
|
14.29% |
Vizquel
(Cleveland) |
|
685,930 |
|
13.16% |
Garciaparra
(Boston) |
436,699 |
|
8.38% |
Guzman
(Minnesota) |
|
249,284 |
|
4.78% |
Tejada
(Oakland) |
|
224,436 |
|
4.30% |
Gil
(Anaheim) |
|
179,875 |
|
3.45% |
Gonzalez
(Toronto) |
|
142,726 |
|
2.74% |
Sanchez (Kansas
City) |
108,036 |
|
2.07% |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
5,213,958 |
|
100% | |