This is a B/S way to decide an election it might make since if this were a tie, but one candidate did get more votes either he won or there's a run-off.

Quote:Computer algorithm will decide whether a Democrat unseats Republican in Maine where 'ranked-choice voting' is being used for first ever - but could end up in court

Dumbest way to decide election EVER

My state house rep race ended in a tie last year and it was settled via coin toss.

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The voters chose this method. It makes sense. You dont have to vote a second choice.

(11-12-2018 08:35 PM)EverRespect Wrote:  My state house rep race ended in a tie last year and it was settled via coin toss.

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What's bizarre is the candidate with the most votes will almost certainly get fewer second choice votes since they got the most votes, SO unless it's a weighted average the loser ends up with more 2nd place votes and wins.

Maine's system isnt that complicated. It simply allows voters to cast a standby ballot for 2nd choice if a candidate doesnt get a majority.

If the first place candidate gets a majority, he/she wins

If a first place candidate does not have a majority, but has enough second place votes to get a majority, that candidate wins.

If a first place candidate has a pluraliry but is loathed by everone else, he or she could lose. But the other candidate also has to get to a MAJORITY.

This is just a way to have an instant runoff. It helps 3rd parties and saves money while ensuring that no one wins that doesnt have some support from a majority of the people.

Mississippi and Georgia have runoffs...This is just a quicker and cheaper form of a runoff

And the voters voted in this system in two referenda.

So the Republican got the most votes but LOST the election, AND democrats are fine with this result.

Quote:Poliquin narrowly got the most votes on Election Day – with 46.1 percent to Golden's 45.9 – but because he didn't get more than 50 percent of the vote, Maine's new law kicked in. Independent candidates Tiffany Bond and William Hoar combined received about another 8 percent of the vote.

SO to all democrats whining about the electoral college being unfair and "Gerrymandering" allows half the senate seats to be controlled by 25% of the population.... SHUT UP!!!!! BETTER YET STFU!!!!!

Computer NOT voters pick Maine Representative

(11-15-2018 07:15 PM)THE NC Herd Fan Wrote:  So the Republican got the most votes but LOST the election, AND democrats are fine with this result.

Quote:Poliquin narrowly got the most votes on Election Day – with 46.1 percent to Golden's 45.9 – but because he didn't get more than 50 percent of the vote, Maine's new law kicked in. Independent candidates Tiffany Bond and William Hoar combined received about another 8 percent of the vote.

SO to all democrats whining about the electoral college being unfair and "Gerrymandering" allows half the senate seats to be controlled by 25% of the population.... SHUT UP!!!!! BETTER YET STFU!!!!!

Computer NOT voters pick Maine Representative

That's highly dishonest.

Rep Poliquin was voted against by 54% of the population in the first vote.

Maine requires a candidate to get a MAJORITY to take office.

In the instant runoff, the Dem got a MAJORITY.

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I get it, Republicans hate this system, because they can't take office with a minority by simply funding the Green party and hoping that they will split the vote.

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I fail to see how this system is unfair to anyone. The Democrat got a MAJORITY of voters support as 1st or 2nd place. The Republican didnt' get a majority period.

(11-15-2018 07:26 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(11-15-2018 07:15 PM)THE NC Herd Fan Wrote:  So the Republican got the most votes but LOST the election, AND democrats are fine with this result.

Quote:Poliquin narrowly got the most votes on Election Day – with 46.1 percent to Golden's 45.9 – but because he didn't get more than 50 percent of the vote, Maine's new law kicked in. Independent candidates Tiffany Bond and William Hoar combined received about another 8 percent of the vote.

SO to all democrats whining about the electoral college being unfair and "Gerrymandering" allows half the senate seats to be controlled by 25% of the population.... SHUT UP!!!!! BETTER YET STFU!!!!!

Computer NOT voters pick Maine Representative

That's highly dishonest.

Rep Poliquin was voted against by 54% of the population in the first vote.

Maine requires a candidate to get a MAJORITY to take office.

In the instant runoff, the Dem got a MAJORITY.

----

I get it, Republicans hate this system, because they can't take office with a minority by simply funding the Green party and hoping that they will split the vote.

----

I fail to see how this system is unfair to anyone. The Democrat got a MAJORITY of voters support as 1st or 2nd place. The Republican didnt' get a majority period.

Dishonest?!? Hardly... In 2016 Hillary got the most votes at 48.2% and wanted to be declared the winner for that reason. The CONSTITUTIONAL Tiebreaker the electoral college said otherwise. So by many democrat standards the US constitution is wrong, but computer model that weights voter preferences among all candidates is right?

(11-15-2018 07:26 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(11-15-2018 07:15 PM)THE NC Herd Fan Wrote:  So the Republican got the most votes but LOST the election, AND democrats are fine with this result.

Quote:Poliquin narrowly got the most votes on Election Day – with 46.1 percent to Golden's 45.9 – but because he didn't get more than 50 percent of the vote, Maine's new law kicked in. Independent candidates Tiffany Bond and William Hoar combined received about another 8 percent of the vote.

SO to all democrats whining about the electoral college being unfair and "Gerrymandering" allows half the senate seats to be controlled by 25% of the population.... SHUT UP!!!!! BETTER YET STFU!!!!!

Computer NOT voters pick Maine Representative

That's highly dishonest.

Rep Poliquin was voted against by 54% of the population in the first vote.

Maine requires a candidate to get a MAJORITY to take office.

In the instant runoff, the Dem got a MAJORITY.

----

I get it, Republicans hate this system, because they can't take office with a minority by simply funding the Green party and hoping that they will split the vote.

----

I fail to see how this system is unfair to anyone. The Democrat got a MAJORITY of voters support as 1st or 2nd place. The Republican didnt' get a majority period.

Dishonest?!? Hardly... In 2016 Hillary got the most votes at 48.2% and wanted to be declared the winner for that reason. The CONSTITUTIONAL Tiebreaker the electoral college said otherwise. So by many democrat standards the US constitution is wrong, but computer model that weights voter preferences among all candidates is right?

(11-15-2018 07:43 PM)THE NC Herd Fan Wrote:  

(11-15-2018 07:26 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(11-15-2018 07:15 PM)THE NC Herd Fan Wrote:  So the Republican got the most votes but LOST the election, AND democrats are fine with this result.

Quote:Poliquin narrowly got the most votes on Election Day – with 46.1 percent to Golden's 45.9 – but because he didn't get more than 50 percent of the vote, Maine's new law kicked in. Independent candidates Tiffany Bond and William Hoar combined received about another 8 percent of the vote.

SO to all democrats whining about the electoral college being unfair and "Gerrymandering" allows half the senate seats to be controlled by 25% of the population.... SHUT UP!!!!! BETTER YET STFU!!!!!

Computer NOT voters pick Maine Representative

That's highly dishonest.

Rep Poliquin was voted against by 54% of the population in the first vote.

Maine requires a candidate to get a MAJORITY to take office.

In the instant runoff, the Dem got a MAJORITY.

----

I get it, Republicans hate this system, because they can't take office with a minority by simply funding the Green party and hoping that they will split the vote.

----

I fail to see how this system is unfair to anyone. The Democrat got a MAJORITY of voters support as 1st or 2nd place. The Republican didnt' get a majority period.

Dishonest?!? Hardly... In 2016 Hillary got the most votes at 48.2% and wanted to be declared the winner for that reason. The CONSTITUTIONAL Tiebreaker the electoral college said otherwise. So by many democrat standards the US constitution is wrong, but computer model that weights voter preferences among all candidates is right?

The voters of Maine voted TWICE to change their constitution to introduce this system. So it is constitutional.

And what is this 'machine' BS. Its just an instant runoff. You vote in the general and the runoff at the same time. The only thing is that the instant runoff assumes you vote for the same candidate in the runoff that you did in the general. This isn't a reach.

Exactly how are your voting rights unequal.

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If we had this system on a Federal level, then whomever won any state would have to have a majority as the first or second choice of a majority of voters. So someone could vote for Gary Johnson then decide...'if he doesn't win, I'll chose Trump (or Hillary)'. It would ensure that whomever won had at least some support from a MAJORITY.

(11-15-2018 07:43 PM)THE NC Herd Fan Wrote:  

(11-15-2018 07:26 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(11-15-2018 07:15 PM)THE NC Herd Fan Wrote:  So the Republican got the most votes but LOST the election, AND democrats are fine with this result.

Quote:Poliquin narrowly got the most votes on Election Day – with 46.1 percent to Golden's 45.9 – but because he didn't get more than 50 percent of the vote, Maine's new law kicked in. Independent candidates Tiffany Bond and William Hoar combined received about another 8 percent of the vote.

SO to all democrats whining about the electoral college being unfair and "Gerrymandering" allows half the senate seats to be controlled by 25% of the population.... SHUT UP!!!!! BETTER YET STFU!!!!!
Computer NOT voters pick Maine Representative

That's highly dishonest.
Rep Poliquin was voted against by 54% of the population in the first vote.
Maine requires a candidate to get a MAJORITY to take office.
In the instant runoff, the Dem got a MAJORITY.
---
I get it, Republicans hate this system, because they can't take office with a minority by simply funding the Green party and hoping that they will split the vote.
----
I fail to see how this system is unfair to anyone. The Democrat got a MAJORITY of voters support as 1st or 2nd place. The Republican didnt' get a majority period.

Dishonest?!? Hardly... In 2016 Hillary got the most votes at 48.2% and wanted to be declared the winner for that reason. The CONSTITUTIONAL Tiebreaker the electoral college said otherwise. So by many democrat standards the US constitution is wrong, but computer model that weights voter preferences among all candidates is right?

Further, consider this. The number three ticket was the Libertarians--Johnson and Weld. They would probably have listed Trump #2 by a wide margin. Number four was the Greens, who would probably have gone Hillary #2. Number five was the Evan McMullen and Mindy Flinn independent ticket and number six was the Constitution Party, bot more inclined to name Trump #2 than Hillary. Give Hillary all the Greens and she still doesn't get to 50% (49.25%). Give Trump the Libertarian, Independent, and Constitution votes and he wins the popular vote (50.06-49.25). Now, Trump wouldn't get 100% of those, but Hillary wouldn't get 100% of the Greens, but they would almost certainly get large majorities in those respective parties. How much? Who knows, but it could well have put Trump over the top.

Ranked Choice Voted is more or less Instant Runoff Voting. And it is the best form of election there is in my opinion. I wish I had that choice for every single position for every election I vote in.

(11-15-2018 07:26 PM)Tom in Lazybrook Wrote:  

(11-15-2018 07:15 PM)THE NC Herd Fan Wrote:  So the Republican got the most votes but LOST the election, AND democrats are fine with this result.

Quote:Poliquin narrowly got the most votes on Election Day – with 46.1 percent to Golden's 45.9 – but because he didn't get more than 50 percent of the vote, Maine's new law kicked in. Independent candidates Tiffany Bond and William Hoar combined received about another 8 percent of the vote.

SO to all democrats whining about the electoral college being unfair and "Gerrymandering" allows half the senate seats to be controlled by 25% of the population.... SHUT UP!!!!! BETTER YET STFU!!!!!

Computer NOT voters pick Maine Representative

That's highly dishonest.

Rep Poliquin was voted against by 54% of the population in the first vote.

Maine requires a candidate to get a MAJORITY to take office.

In the instant runoff, the Dem got a MAJORITY.

----

I get it, Republicans hate this system, because they can't take office with a minority by simply funding the Green party and hoping that they will split the vote.

----

I fail to see how this system is unfair to anyone. The Democrat got a MAJORITY of voters support as 1st or 2nd place. The Republican didnt' get a majority period.

I don't know that its unfair, but its unreasonable. If they had a runoff, how many of those backing the 3rd candidate would care enough to vote?

(11-16-2018 02:21 AM)georgia_tech_swagger Wrote:  Ranked Choice Voted is more or less Instant Runoff Voting. And it is the best form of election there is in my opinion. I wish I had that choice for every single position for every election I vote in.

I tend to agree.

One final note on ME-02.

Rep. Poliquin waited until AFTER the general election, when it became clear that he would likely lose in the 'instant runoff' to sue over the practice. Why? Because he knew that if he sued to try and overturn an election mechanism that had been voted into effect TWICE by the voters, that he might lose support.

BTW, not everyone elected to vote for a second choice. But enough did to give Golden an outright majority.

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For fans of third parties (including Libertarians) this system is a Godsend. It allows people to vote Libertarian and then use the second vote to go to the Democrat or Republican so that their vote isn't wasted. I fully expect that in future elections in Maine, a Libertarian might win a seat he/she would otherwise have no hope of winning because of this system. It probably won't be congress, but it still will be an improvement. Also, people can use ranked voting to send messages to winners about what wing their voters are coming from.

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Had 2016 had ranked voting in the Presidential election, it would have provided someone with more of a mandate. I think you would have seen a LOT more voters for Gary Johnson too. He might have gotten 20 percent in the first round. He would have been eliminated after that, but he would have had a lot of influence.