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An Election Autopsy
The limits to voting ‘in’ democracy.
December 5
In the multivariate domain which is an election, one exercises a two-factor set of outcomes, “for/against.”
In America, this practice is modified by the number of possible outcomes organized in one of two outcome sets — the “two-party system.”
Though one feels rewarded by pulling a lever for a party rather than for/against all those individual names, the choice universe comprises one of two ‘possible’ possibilities:
For/against a particular candidate.
For/against a particular party.
The other names on the ballot, the so-called ‘third’ party candidates? Don’t they expand one’s possible choices?
In actuality, not. One’s choice exercise is still ‘for/against’. However, there are other choices, not represented by “parties.” These comprise a “rejection choice” possibility, manifested by one of two exercises — abstention, eg., not exercising choice (‘don’t pull any lever’) or exercising multi-choice (‘pulling more than one lever’).
The term used to describe the second outcome possibility is “ranked choice voting,” which several state (and local) voting infrastructures accommodate. Ranked choice voting is distinct from “run-off” or “forced choice” elections.
