Introduction to the Election-Methods Resource

This web site is the Election-Methods Resource (or EMR). It's goal is to provide information about some of the many ways in which groups can make democratic decisions. In particular, it is intended as a reference for people who read the election-methods list (EM).

I started this project to fill what I saw as a need. People frequently asked if EM had a FAQ, and it clearly didn't. From reading the EM archives I discovered two important things. First, that an unsuccessful attempt had been previously made to create a FAQ as a group effort by the contributors to EM. Second, that the EM archives are huge, and the useful information in them is pretty thinly spread out. So, I created this site. I do not claim it to be in any way the official view of the EM list, as there is no such thing.

Explanations

I have attempted to list some of the more popular methods that have been suggested. I have attempted to describe them in brief, precise, and clear language. If you do not understand something, or believe I have misdefined something, please email me.

Often these methods go by several different names. I put the name I prefer first. In particular, IRV (Instant Run-off Voting) is known by several different names, but I prefer the name IRV because this name is popular among the method's advocates, it makes a reasonable attempt to differentiate the method from others, and it is not likely to be confused with the names of other methods. In particular, I avoided calling it Alternative Voting because this does not really describe the method, and because AV is used to abbreviate both Alternative Voting and Approval Voting.

Caveats

Criteria and Strategies

Each of the methods is tested against a number of precisely worded criteria, and possible strategic voting for that method. This should help in showing potential criticisms of methods. You can decide for your self if any of these criteria are important.

I caution against trying to use the number of criteria a method passes as a general measure of the desirability of a method. After all, some of these criteria may be more desirable than others. Some may not even be desirable at all. Others may be redundant. I've merely attempted to list criteria that are commonly used or implied. Similarly, you might decide that certain kinds of strategic voting are benign, or even helpful.

Similarly, it would be a mistake to assume that because one method is affected by two kinds of strategy and another by one, that the latter is more strategy resistant. The failing of the former could be more severe. This same argument exists for the criteria. All the criteria/strategies are pass/fail tests, but that does not mean that is the only way of thinking about the methods.

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