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Ranked Choice Voting – NOW WHAT

Written by: Alex Patton
Political Research

WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM!

I thought this was going to be easy….it is not.  It is complicated and it goes back to the old saying “those who county the votes…..”

Here is the challenge, again suppose to be easy….you eliminate the bottom vote getter and re-allocate their next choice.

Great – from last round we eliminate

Chocolate Peanut Butter

Then Neapolitan….

OK

Then we have a tie….again….in this case the random number generator says we should eliminate Strawberry.

Side / authors note:  Neapolitan.  It isn’t even a FLAVOR – it is a trash “flavor” for those who can’t make a decision. Come one, cowboy up and make yup your mind!

So we eliminate Strawberry.   We should be moving on and making progress – next for elimination is Chocolate Chip.  RIGHT?

DARN IT – Now we have another issue.  These Strawberry ranked choice voters are making my life hellish.

Eliminated Next Vote
Strawberry Chocolate
Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Strawberry Cookies and Cream
Strawberry Rocky Road
Strawberry Cookies and Cream
Strawberry Vanilla
Strawberry Butter Pecan
Strawberry Mint Chocolate Chip

Some of the Strawberry’s next votes are for flavors that have already been eliminated!

What to do now?

Do I add these flavors back into the count and start eliminating from the smallest again?

Do I spoil those ballots, if you insist on voting for a crazy flavor with zero chance of winning, do I spoil your ballot now since that choice has already been eliminated? OR do I keep on applying them until the ballot is exhausted (remember, you only get 5 choices).

In this case, because I am a kind and benevolent dictator, I am NOT going to spoil the ballot and play it out to the end, but know this – I don’t like you.

Stay tuned…..

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