Are we still arguing over the "majority" poll? What hasn't been decided yet? Obviously preferential voting can't be on the poll because a) it isn't inherent in the word majority and b) a third option would be a logistically circular and paradoxical - The poll is to determine how to tally the results of a poll with more than two options - so you can't put more than two options on the poll or we won't know how to tally the results.

Don't try to sneak this one below us, you stealthy preference-supporter you.

I'm not, I swear.

I'm saying the situation may very well be that Buffistas just wanted a Most Votes Wins system.

Such a system does not require a prefs-voting system.

As soon as we know what Buffistas wanted, I'll meet you all back here and we can start talking again, but we really don't know.

I really really want a vote on What Buffistas Actually Wanted The First Time.

Nothing else.

How about this?

A Poll:

What did you think a "simple majority" meant at the time you voted?

Choice 1: 50% of the vote, + 1 vote

Choice 2: Whichever option have the most votes wins (even if there are three or more choices)

Bureaucracy II: Like Kafka, Only Not As Funny

OK, joking aside, we are really getting somewhere aren't we?

You have got to be joking.

What did you think a "simple majority" meant at the time you voted?

Choice 1: 50% of the vote, + 1 vote

Choice 2: Whichever option have the most votes wins (even if there are three or more choices)

OK.

But "50% of the vote, + 1 vote"? It's a little head-scratchy.

How about "Only options that get more than fifty percent of the vote win", contrasted with "The options that get most votes win".

What did you think a "simple majority" meant at the time you voted?

Without opening a can of worms, I think that the poll should just state the two "definitions" of simple majority and find out the buffista preference. This way the vote won't be closed to people who voted supermajority or didn't vote in the first election, and there won't be any complaints about people changing their minds.

In other words: those who want a 51% majority would be implicitly voting that, if there's no such majority, no action should be taken. No run-offs

Were there really people who believed this? That is there were three choices that received 40%, 35%, and 25%, that no action would be taken? The vote was for Majority vs. a Supermajority. I think folks expected that something would win, but I don't want to jump to conclusions.

I like Sophia's ballot, but that's cause it's pretty much what I said upthread. ;)

OK the plurals there are making me hate it.

How about "an option has to get more than fifty percent of the vote to win" and "whichever option gets the most votes wins".

Nope, that is a good idea John.

So

What did you think a "simple majority" meant at the time you voted?

Choice 1:Only options that get more than fifty percent of the vote win (even if there are three or more choices)

Choice 2: Whichever option have the most votes wins (even if there are three or more choices)

Now, as Burrell has asked (several times) is this a Poll or a vote?

OK.

Were there really people who believed this? That is there were three choices that received 40%, 35%, and 25%, that no action would be taken?

I have seen it suggested by at least one person, way upthread. I think it was DavidS, but don't quote me on that.