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Preferential voting is a way of voting where each person ranks the choices in order of preference. This means that instead of just picking one option, you can choose your top choices in order. The votes are then counted and the candidate with the most votes wins. This system can be transferable or weighted, which means that if your first choice doesn't win, your vote can be transferred to your second choice. It's like making a list of your favorite ice cream flavors and getting the one that's most popular among your friends!
Definition: Preferential voting is a system in which each voter ranks the choices in order of preference. The most preferred candidate wins by having the highest number of votes.
For example, in an election with three candidates, a voter may rank them as follows: Candidate A (first choice), Candidate B (second choice), and Candidate C (third choice). If Candidate A does not receive enough votes to win, the voter's second choice (Candidate B) will be counted instead. This process continues until a candidate receives a majority of the votes.
Preferential voting is used in many countries, including Australia, Ireland, and India. It is also used in some US cities, such as San Francisco and Minneapolis, for local elections.