Robert's Rules of
Order
Robert's Rules of Order (RRO), the well-known guide to fair procedures, makes the point that an election by a mere plurality may produce an unrepresentative result. It recommends voting methods that can determine a majority winner when electing single-seat offices. At conventions of private organizations, etc., where the electors can cast repeated ballots, RRO prefers a system that allows open ended repeat balloting with no runoff eliminations to finally elect a majority winner. Such a system may be time consuming but can allow a compromise candidate to emerge after a number of ballots. However, in elections where open-ended re-voting is not practical, such as in elections by mail (or governmental elections), instant runoff voting (called "preferential voting" in RRO) is the recommended procedure. In the section detailing the procedure for conducting an instant runoff election RRO states that "It makes possible a more representative result than under a rule that a plurality shall elect..... This type of preferential ballot is preferable to an election by plurality." The full text is below. (Again, note that the term "preferential voting" is another one for instant runoff voting). It is from: Robert's
Rules of Order Newly Revised �45 VOTING PROCEDURE
Preferential Voting:
The term preferential voting refers to any of a number of voting
methods by which, on a single ballot when there are more than two
possible choices, the second or less-preferred choices of voters can
be taken into account if no candidate or proposition attains a
majority. While it is more complicated than other methods of voting
in common use and is not a substitute for the normal procedure of
repeated balloting until a majority is obtained, preferential voting
is especially useful and fair in an election by mail if it is
impractical to take more than one ballot. In such cases it makes
possible a more representative result than under a rule that a
plurality shall elect. It can be used only if expressly authorized
in the bylaws. Preferential voting has many variations. One method
is described here by way of illustration. On the preferential
ballot�for each office to be filled or multiple-choice question to
be decided�the voter is asked to indicate the order in which he
prefers all the candidates or propositions, placing the numeral 1
beside his first preference, the numeral 2 beside his second
preference, and so on for every possible choice. In counting the
votes for a given office or question, the ballots are arranged in
piles according to the indicated first preferences�one pile for each
candidate or proposition. The number of ballots in each pile is then
recorded for the tellers� report. These piles remain identified with
the names of the same candidates or propositions throughout the
counting procedure until all but one are eliminated as described
below. If more than half of the ballots show one candidate or
proposition indicated as first choice, that choice has a majority in
the ordinary sense and the candidate is elected or the proposition
is decided upon. But if there is no such majority, candidates or
propositions are eliminated one by one, beginning with the least
popular, until one prevails, as follows: The ballots in the thinnest
pile�that is, those containing the name designated as first choice
by the fewest number of voters�are redistributed into the other
piles according to the names marked as second choice on these
ballots. The number of ballots in each remaining pile after this
distribution is again recorded. If more than half of the ballots are
now in one pile, that candidate or proposition is elected or decided
upon. If not, the next least popular candidate or proposition is
similarly eliminated, by taking the thinnest remaining pile and
redistributing its ballots according to their second choices into
the other piles, except that, if the name eliminated in the last
distribution is indicated as second choice on a ballot, that ballot
is placed according to its third choice. Again the number of ballots
in each existing pile is recorded, and, if necessary, the process is
repeated�by redistributing each time the ballots in the thinnest
remaining pile, according to the marked second choice or
most-preferred choice among those not yet eliminated�until one pile
contains more than half of the ballots, the result being thereby
determined. The tellers� report consists of a table listing all
candidates or propositions, with the number of ballots that were in
each pile after each successive distribution. If a ballot having
one or more names not marked with any numeral comes up for placement
at any stage of the counting and all of its marked names have been
eliminated, it should not be placed in any pile, but should be set
aside. If at any point two or more candidates or propositions are
tied for the least popular position, the ballots in their piles are
redistributed in a single step, all of the tied names being treated
as eliminated. In the event of a tie in the winning position�which
would imply that the elimination process is continued until the
ballots are reduced to two or more equal piles�the election should
be resolved in favor of the candidate or proposition that was
strongest in terms of first choices (by referring to the record of
the first distribution). If more than one person is to be elected
to the same type of office�for example, if three members of a board
are to be chosen�the voters can indicate their order of preference
among the names in a single fist of candidates, just as if only one
was to be elected. The counting procedure is the same as described
above, except that it is continued until all but the necessary
number of candidates have been eliminated (that is, in the example,
all but three). When this or any other system of preferential
voting is to be used, the voting and counting procedure must be
precisely established in advance and should be prescribed in detail
in the bylaws of the organization. The members must be thoroughly
instructed as to how to mark the ballot, and should have sufficient
understanding of the counting process to enable them to have
confidence in the method. Sometimes, for instance, voters decline to
indicate a second or other choice, mistakenly believing that such a
course increases the chances of their first choice. In fact, it may
prevent any candidate from receiving a majority and require the
voting to be repeated. The persons selected as tellers must perform
their work with particular care. The system of preferential voting
just described should not be used in cases where it is possible to
follow the normal procedure of repeated balloting until one
candidate or proposition attains a majority. Although this type of
preferential ballot is preferable to an election by plurality, it
affords less freedom of choice than repeated balloting, because it
denies voters the opportunity of basing their second or lesser
choices on the results of earlier ballots, and because the candidate
or proposition in last place is automatically eliminated and may
thus be prevented from becoming a compromise choice. |