tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020708449677248244.post8000844632352643967..comments2023-07-04T08:17:57.719-07:00Comments on Essential Green Party Politics: Why support a third party? Reasons and barriers...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04506391854387440358noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020708449677248244.post-38885921457169352202010-04-03T19:36:30.219-07:002010-04-03T19:36:30.219-07:00Libhom - In actuality, the minority of voters that...Libhom - In actuality, the minority of voters that put the green candidate first would see their votes transfer to the democratic candidate they put second. IRV insures that your vote never supports a candidate you personally do not. www.fairvote.org has more information. It works like this, you rank the candidates by preference (say green #1 and Dem #2 for instance)- if none of the first preference candidates gets a majority of the vote, the candidate with the least votes is eliminated (the green in this example) if your 2nd choice was a dem, your vote would transfer to the democrat. The ballots are then recounted, and whoever has a majority vote wins. You could never support a republican via IRV unless you deliberately put them as your second choice (assuming your first choice was a green).<br /><br />Proportional representation would be great, but it would take an amendment to the US constitution, which is extremely difficult. IRV increases voter turnout, solves the "spoiler issue" and helps 3rd party candidates get elected.<br /><br />Thanks for commenting!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04506391854387440358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020708449677248244.post-56338377113848545012010-04-03T18:46:09.964-07:002010-04-03T18:46:09.964-07:00Daryl: I don't see how Greens could ever win w...Daryl: I don't see how Greens could ever win with instant runoff voting. If a Green candidate and a Democrat were the two left over, the Republicans would either make the Democrat the second choice or leave that section of the ballot blank. If a Republican and a Green were the first two choices, more Democrats would vote for the Republican than the Green (except in a small number of very liberal enclaves). IRV seems to rig the system against third parties that will have to win their first majority victories with pluralities of the vote.<br /><br />Personally, I think proportional representation is much better than IRV.libhomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05537213558568338561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020708449677248244.post-39417234442979609722010-03-29T13:40:36.661-07:002010-03-29T13:40:36.661-07:00Dave - thanks for stopping by and taking the time...Dave - thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment! I am a big proponent of IRV, and look forward to learning more from the web link you listed.<br /><br />Take care,<br /><br />DarylAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04506391854387440358noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5020708449677248244.post-2148930487410261012010-03-29T10:44:03.627-07:002010-03-29T10:44:03.627-07:00Greta Browne made one mistake in her otherwise gre...Greta Browne made one mistake in her otherwise great article. The ballot measure in California for top-two primaries would be very bad news for third parties and independents (it's misleading to call it an "open primary"). As ballot access expert Richard Winger has noted, the top-two system made 2008 the first year in over a century that no third party or independent candidates appeared on Washington state's general election ballot. Instant runoff voting accomplishes all the good things that top-two is supposed to, without limiting voter choice like top-two does.<br /><br />Check out http://www.stoptoptwo.org/ for the compelling case against CA's Proposition 14.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15191765471206225563noreply@blogger.com