Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Hare-Ware voting is a type of voting where people rank their choices instead of just picking one. It's like having a second round of voting without actually having to vote again. This helps ensure that the winner is the person who most people like, even if they weren't everyone's first choice. It's also called instant-runoff voting.
Voting is the process of casting votes to make a decision. There are different types of voting methods used in various situations.
Hare-Ware voting is also known as instant-runoff voting. It is a preferential voting system that uses each voter's ranked preferences instead of a second round of voting. For example, in an election with three candidates, voters rank their choices as first, second, and third. If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed based on the second choice of those voters. This process continues until one candidate receives a majority of votes.
Absentee voting allows qualified voters who are unable to appear at the polls on election day to participate in the election. For example, a voter who is out of town on election day can request an absentee ballot and mail it in before the election. This allows them to cast their vote even though they cannot physically be present at the polling place.
Cumulative voting is a system in which each voter may cast more than one vote for the same candidate. This helps a minority elect at least one representative. For example, in a shareholder election, a shareholder may have ten votes and can choose to cast all ten votes for one candidate or distribute them among multiple candidates.
Plurality voting is also known as first-past-the-post voting. It is a system in which the candidate with the most votes wins, even if they do not receive a majority of votes. For example, in an election with three candidates, the candidate with the most votes, even if it is less than 50%, wins the election.
Proportional voting is a system of transferable preferential voting in a multi-representative election. It ensures that the number of seats a party wins is proportional to the number of votes they receive. For example, in a parliament election, if a party receives 30% of the votes, they should receive 30% of the seats in parliament.