Range Voting

[kevin_standlee]

The folks advocating Range Voting contacted WSFS (actually, the WSFS webmaster, sfrose) lobbying WSFS to change its voting system from the Instant Runoff Voting system we currently use for site selection and the Hugo Awards. Sharon told them how our rules work and suggested that if they want to change them, they come to WSFS business meetings and propose and debate the changes there, like all other rule changes. The advocate's response, in my opinion, amounted to, "Our proposal is so obviously Right that we shouldn't have to do all that hard, expensive work. You should change your rules because we tell you to do so."

I often tell people who come to me with rules-change proposals, "If you think it's worthwhile, come and submit it yourself. I'll help you with all of the technicalities to the best of my ability, but you have to make your own case, lobby people yourself, and get the votes by convincing people." Most of the time, this discourages them -- democracy is hard work! But sometimes we get people who are willing to work and debate, and sometimes we even get workable changes and improvements.

WSFS rules are intentionally designed to be resistant to change; however, they can be changed if people work hard enough at it. But it's not enough to just lobby a Board of Directors or subvert the Chairman; you have to convince the members.

Comments

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

"A preferential list system", I should say. Lest I confuse your overtaxed brain further.

[thebrokenladder.livejournal.com]

"Confuse my overtaxed brain". Why say silly things like that when we can have an intellectual debate? Clearly I'm not confused, because as my citations above indicate, your claim was wrong, and mine was right. I was just asking you what you meant, because your statement sounds vague to me. I still don't know what exactly you're trying to say. By list system, you mean STV, or does that include ALL ordinal voting systems, such as Condorcet? I can't address your claim if you use vague terminology.