We need some process. We don't need large-corporation levels of process.

Exactly.

I just want to say, I am not against putting preferential voting before the community - for it to consider. But I am against preferential voting. We're not deciding things as important as which Cambridge liberal gets in office, we're deciding things akin to whether or not we can have a general TV thread, a Greenwalt thread or Sci-Fi thread (I mean, not really, but we're deciding things about a posting board, not political issues that affect lives).

So - what would happen if preferential voting passes (and I hope it doesn't) and I still only voted for one of say my five choices on an issue. Would my vote get the same weight that voting with a bullet does on a political ballot? You know, when you can pick 3 of 10 candidates for school committee, but you only vote for one, and your vote, in essence, gives your candidate of choice the equivalent of 3 votes, because you're not giving votes to anyone who could potentially beat him?

Does anyone even know what I'm asking, because I barely do?

Also - I think the proposed quorum numbers both start out and go way too high. Seriously, some of us think if 3 Buffistas are the only ones that can be arsed to vote on an issue, well then darn it, they should get what they want, because they were arsed to vote.

I just want to point out in John's example, if 35% wanted Monkey, and 30% wanted option B, and 30% wanted option C, and all the B's voted C as a second option, and all the C's voted B as a second option, then Monkey would have the most votes and still lose.

Also - I think the proposed quorum numbers both start out and go way too high. Seriously, some of us think if 3 Buffistas are the only ones that can be arsed to vote on an issue, well then darn it, they should get what they want, because they were arsed to vote.

Wrod. And wrod to the arsed usage.

I just want to point out in John's example, if 35% wanted Monkey, and 30% wanted option B, and 30% wanted option C, and all the B's voted C as a second option, and all the C's voted B as a second option, then Monkey would have the most votes and still lose.

And this seems in conflict with the spirit (although it may fall within the letter) of chosing simple majority. But maybe that's me. Doesn't it, though?

Didn't someone say the preferential was there if you needed it -- as a tiebreaker?

(yeah, i skim. bite me)

when you can pick 3 of 10 candidates for school committee, but you only vote for one, and your vote, in essence, gives your candidate of choice the equivalent of 3

In that case (I don't know how this school board thing works) are you voting for candidate A, first choice, candidate B, second choice, candidate C, third choice, or each one is equal? Because you may be talking about a different system.

In the Austriailiian system, you are told to rank all ten, with a number between one and ten, in the order you like them. Not three out of ten.

I dunno. Just how vicious are the Krav defenses against an attack with teeth?

Monkey would have the most votes and still lose

I honestly don't know if that's true, I really need Jon or billytea to audit your argument there.

Plus, what's a "vote"? Monkey got the most primary votes. It didn't win. Then we run a more complicated kind of count, mathy because it needs to be, to see if we can get a result from secondary votes. Something like that anyway.

And this seems in conflict with the spirit (although it may fall within the letter) of chosing simple majority. But maybe that's me. Doesn't it, though?

Actually in my example 60% are voting anti-Monkey (poor misguided souls) so they are really the "simple" majority. I think John's Auistiriailiiiiiian system is probably the fairest way. Still pulling for write-in option though.

And of course such a vote is extremely unlikely, from my poor understanding of it, you get to eliminate the least-voted-for option before you go for a second round, and if there really were exactly 30% each for the less-popular options, then I don't know what they do. But if it's 29 and 31, we know how to proceed.

In the Auisitiriailiiiaini system that is.