Section 13.1 and 13.2 - Voting Methods - Lecture Video Part 3

Summary

The video explains the Hare method of voting, a ranked-choice system that ensures a candidate with a majority of first-place votes wins. It addresses potential flaws in other methods like the Board of Elections, where a candidate with the majority of first-place votes might still lose. Through detailed examples, the Hare method is illustrated: if no candidate wins outright in the first round, the least popular candidates are eliminated, and their votes redistributed. This process continues until a candidate receives a majority. The video also highlights how this method ensures the majority criterion is met, making it a fair alternative to other voting methods.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Hare method is a ranked-choice voting system designed to ensure a majority winner by eliminating the lowest-ranked candidates in successive rounds.
• 😀 In the first round of the Hare method, voters rank candidates, and if no candidate wins a majority of first-place votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated.
• 😀 To win a majority in the Hare method, a candidate must receive more than 50% of the total votes, not just the highest number of first-place votes (i.e., a plurality).
• 😀 If no candidate reaches a majority after the first round, second-choice votes are redistributed, with voters' preferences for remaining candidates determining the new vote distribution.
• 😀 The Hare method is a multi-round process where candidates are eliminated one by one until one candidate has a majority of the votes.
• 😀 The Hare method ensures that voters' second and third preferences are considered if their first-choice candidate is eliminated, preventing their vote from being lost.
• 😀 The process of eliminating the lowest-ranked candidates continues until one candidate meets the majority threshold, which is greater than 50% of the total votes.
• 😀 The Hare method can take multiple rounds of voting to determine the winner, especially when no candidate secures a majority in the early rounds.
• 😀 The method ensures fairness by allowing voters to express a full range of preferences, reducing the likelihood of a candidate winning despite not having broad support.
• 😀 The Hare method is designed to prevent a candidate from winning with only a small plurality of votes, unlike methods like the plurality or Borda count that may not always reflect the majority's preference.

Q & A

What is the Hare method in ranked-choice voting?

The Hare method is a ranked-choice voting system where voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives a majority in the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed based on second-choice preferences. This process continues until a candidate achieves a majority.

What is the main advantage of the Hare method compared to the plurality method?

The main advantage of the Hare method is that it ensures a majority winner, even if no candidate receives a majority in the first round. Unlike the plurality method, where the candidate with the most votes wins, the Hare method eliminates the lowest candidates and redistributes votes, which prevents a candidate from winning without a majority.

In the Hare method, what happens if no candidate achieves a majority of votes in the first round?

If no candidate achieves a majority in the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. The eliminated candidate's votes are then redistributed based on voters' next preferences, and the process repeats until a candidate reaches a majority.

In the San Diego, The Lake, and Rocky Point example, why was the Lake eliminated first?

The Lake was eliminated first because it received the fewest number of first-place votes in the first round. Since it did not have a majority, it was removed from the running, and its voters' second-place preferences were considered in the next round.

What does it mean for a candidate to have a majority of votes in the Hare method?

A candidate has a majority of votes in the Hare method if they receive more than 50% of the total votes. For example, in an election with 17 voters, a majority would require at least 9 votes. A majority ensures that the candidate is the winner of the election.

What is the difference between the plurality method and the majority method?

The plurality method selects the candidate with the most votes, even if they do not have more than 50% of the votes. In contrast, the majority method requires a candidate to have more than 50% of the votes (a true majority) to win.

How does the Hare method handle voters who supported the eliminated candidate?

In the Hare method, when a candidate is eliminated, the votes of those who supported the eliminated candidate are not discarded. Instead, these voters' next-choice preferences (second or third) are considered, and their votes are redistributed to the remaining candidates.

In the second example with the cities Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, and Dallas, which city was eliminated first, and why?

Atlanta was eliminated first because it received the fewest first-place votes in the first round. Its voters' second-place preferences were then redistributed to the remaining cities: Boston, Chicago, and Dallas.

What happens when a candidate's second-place preference is for a candidate that has already been eliminated?

If a voter’s second-choice candidate has already been eliminated, their vote is then transferred to their third-choice candidate, ensuring that every voter’s vote is still counted in subsequent rounds.

Why did Boston win the Hare election in the second example with 20 voters?

Boston won the Hare election in the second example because, after several rounds of elimination and vote redistribution, it was the only candidate to achieve a majority (12 votes) out of 20 voters. Boston surpassed the 50% threshold, while Chicago had fewer votes and was thus eliminated.