Legal Definitions - choice voting

Choice voting, also known as the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system, is an electoral method designed to achieve proportional representation by allowing voters to rank candidates in order of preference rather than simply choosing one.

Under choice voting, voters mark their first-choice candidate, then their second choice, third choice, and so on. If a candidate receives enough first-preference votes to meet a predetermined quota (the minimum number of votes needed to win a seat), they are elected. Any surplus votes beyond the quota are then transferred to the voters' next preferred candidates. If no candidate reaches the quota, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are transferred to the voters' next preferred candidates. This process continues until all available seats are filled, ensuring that votes are not "wasted" and that a wider range of preferences are represented.

Here are some examples illustrating choice voting:

• Example 1: City Council Election

  Imagine a city holding an election for five city council seats. Instead of voting for up to five individual candidates, residents use choice voting. Each voter receives a ballot where they can rank all 10 candidates running for the council from 1st choice to 10th choice. If a popular candidate quickly reaches the quota of votes needed to win a seat, their excess votes are then redistributed to the second-choice candidates on those ballots. Conversely, if a candidate receives very few first-preference votes, they might be eliminated, and their supporters' votes would then go to their second-choice candidates. This system helps ensure that the five elected council members collectively represent a broader spectrum of the community's political preferences, rather than just the majority's top picks.

• Example 2: Professional Association Board Election

  A national association for engineers needs to elect three new members to its governing board. To ensure diverse representation from different specialties and regions, they decide to use choice voting. Members receive a ballot listing all candidates, and they rank them from their most preferred to least preferred. If a candidate from a specific engineering discipline (e.g., civil engineering) receives an overwhelming number of first-preference votes and meets the quota, their surplus votes are transferred to the next preferred candidates on those ballots, potentially helping a candidate from another discipline (e.g., software engineering) or a different region get elected. This mechanism prevents a single dominant group from filling all available seats and promotes a more balanced board that reflects the association's diverse membership.

• Example 3: University Student Government Election

  A university is electing seven representatives to its student government. To give a voice to various student groups and interests, they implement choice voting. Students rank all candidates running for the positions. For instance, a student might rank a candidate focused on environmental initiatives as their first choice, a candidate advocating for better campus dining as their second, and a candidate promoting mental health services as their third. If the environmental candidate is elected with surplus votes, those extra votes are transferred to the second-choice candidates on those ballots. If a candidate receives very few votes and is eliminated, their supporters' votes are transferred to their next preferred candidate. This process helps ensure that the final group of seven representatives reflects the diverse priorities and concerns of the entire student body, rather than just the most popular individual candidates.