Home / How Ranked Choice Voting Works

The USA Parliament How Ranked Choice Voting and STV Works By James Ogle

Ranked Choice Voting in Single-winner and Multi-winner Districts

Ranked choice voting is a system based on algebra where the voter ranks one or more choices beginning with the number one, followed by consecutive numbers where no same number can be used more than once or the ballot is marked spoiled. The strict compliance to the consecutively ranked numbers enables a perfect vote count by all vote counters. The number one choice is the top preference of the voter, represented by the numeral 1.

Single-winner Districts

When the marked ballots are counted, there is a minimum threshold for the name or item to win in a single winner district. The threshold is 50% (closest the names/items can come to a two-way tie, or 1/2 the votes cast each) plus one vote, where the one vote breaks the tie.

Multi-winner Districts

In a two member district the threshold is 33.33% (closest the name/item can come to a three-way tie, or 1/3) plus one vote, and the first item/name to garner an additional vote (33.33% plus one vote) breaks the tie and is elected. The second item/name to reach 33.33% plus one vote is the second item elected in consecutive order.

Each additional seat/item elected, lowers the threshold proportionately.

In a three member district, closest to four-way tie, 1/4th (or 25%), plus one vote breaks the tie.

In a four member district, closest to a five-way tie, 1/5th (or 20%), plus one vote breaks the tie.

In a five member district, closest to a six-way tie, 1/6th (or 16.66%), plus one vote breaks the tie.

In a nine member district, closest to a ten-way tie, 1/10th (or 10%), plus one vote breaks the tie.

In a 100 member district, closest to a 101-way tie, 1/101th (or .99%), plus one vote breaks the tie.

In a 1000 member district (like the 8th USA Parliament Election of 2012), it's the closest we can come to a 1001-way tie (or .999%), plus one vote breaks the tie.
* * *

Any of the items/names which reaches the threshold described above are elected, and that is known as "round one".

Single Transferrable Vote (STV)

Should the threshold not be broken by any of the fractions (or percentages) listed above, then the name/item with the fewest #1 votes is eliminated because they have the least likely chance of winning the threshold.

Each marked ballot from the first eliminated name/item's stack of ballots is transferred to the voter's next highest ranked choice, being a #2. This is known as the single transferrable vote (STV). The process of elimination and transfer of ballots continues until the first name is finally elected and that is known as "round two".

Each round is repeated until all the items/seats are elected in consecutive rounds.
* * *

There are several variations used in ranked choice voting, the most common is known as instant runoff voting (IRV) used to elect one item with a guaranteed majority (50% plus one vote).
* * *

When electing two or more items/names per election or district, one system used is known as the Sainte-Lague parliament seat distribution system.

The USA Parliament uses the Sainte-Lague parliament seat distribution system, and this description of the Sainte-Lague vote counting system was written by mathematician Mike Ossipoff in 1995, elected as "rule #4" and it reads:

4. THE SAINTE-LAGUE PARLIAMENT SYSTEM for seat allocation in all multi-seat districts: 1. Divide the election's total number of votes by the number of seats. This is the 1st quota. 2. Divide this quota into each candidate's votes, and round off to the nearest whole number. That's that candidate's seat allocation. 3. If, due to rounding, this awards a number of seats different from the desired number of seats, then adjust the quota slightly up or down, till, when paragraph 2 is carried out, it will award all seats.
* * *

Ranked Choice Consensus Voting

Ranked choice consensus voting is like consensus, where all items/names being
voted upon that recieve rankings or tics cast by all the participating
voting members are considered approved by consensus. Using the STV system,
consecutive numbers beginning with the number "1" must be used, or the ballot
is marked spoiled and considered democratically illegitimate.
* * *

Commentary by James Ogle

After conducting the USA Parliament elections for 16 consecutive years, it turns out that the IRV system (for single winners only) was never used in a single winner district election in the USA Parliament's elections. Only multi-winner districts of two or more have been used, under the Sainte-Lague parliament seat distribution system.

Although it is written as rule #3 in the USA Parliament's rules, the IRV system is viewed as inferior to the Sainte-Lague seat distribution system, and it is never used and frowned on because it creates a limit of one choice, where one choice must be presented as the only choice available, or the only name that is "better than" all other names. Single winner districts are not conducive to team work, because it takes two or more people make a team.

There is currently a split in the voting reform movement in the USA. Most reformers in the national voting reform movement are trying to implement single winner district IRV systems in many state, county and city elections. The USA Parliament never uses IRV and supports only the Sainte-Lague parliament seat distribution system in all cases over IRV with no exceptions.
* * *

The way I have been making the vote count over the years, is the names/items are elected in consecutive order, based on the number of rankings (or tics) each name/item garners until all the names/items are elected in consecutive order. In case there is a tie for the list between names that garner the same number of tics, then the lowest sum of the total tics breaks the tie.