Wow, what a big waste of time and money... more fundraising, more ads, and another election to go vote in just 4-6 weeks after the last one. I ran across a great alternative... Instant Runoff Voting. Basically, here's how it works: When you go to vote, you indicate the person you want to vote for, just like normal. But then, if you want to, you can vote for your second choice, then third choice, etc. So if you are voting for President last time around, you could vote like this if you're more conservative: #1 Buchanan #2 Bush #3 Gore #4 Nader Or if you're more liberal maybe like this: #1 Nader #2 Gore #3 Bush #4 Buchanan Now, after the polls close, they add up only the first-place (#1) votes, and if someone wins a majority (50% + 1 vote) then it's over, and there's a winner. However, if no one wins a majority, the person who finished in last place has their first place votes thrown out, and that person's second-place votes are given to the respective candidates. If someone now has a majority then it's over, otherwise you repeat with the second-to-last place candidate's votes. It saves money (it costs millions to hold elections), people don't have to go to the polls twice within a few weeks time, less time for all of those ads and annoying phone calls, etc. Is all voting in Louisiana done electronically now? That is a requirement for this type of system.
Well, it wouldn't work for me because my vote in the primary was a strategic vote - i didn't know who I was for, just who I was not for. Now I'll study harder.
Good point, but I'd imagine that people such as you would just do your studying earlier, before the one (and only) election, rather than counting on the runoff election like now. You could still vote strategically, too.
It would never work. Lets say if you were for Jindal you would put his name first and somebody like Live Wire Landry second just so you wouldn't have to put Blanco and Ieyboubs names on your ballot at all. If you were for Buddy Leach you would put his name first and list your second, third and forth candidates with the Live Wires and others with no chance to win. A system like that might actually result in somebody like Live Wire Landry winning.
Keep a few things in mind about this... 1) You are never forced to vote for more than one person. So if you vote for someone who you feel comfortable will win, there is no real benefit/negative to voting for someone else, because your other votes would probably never be counted. 2) The point of voting for a second (and third, etc.) place person is so that you can indicate who you'd actually want to win if your first-place candidate was knocked out. So instead of voting for "Live Wire", a Jindal supporter would probably vote for Hunt Downer, or another conservative in the race. A Leach supporter may vote for Ieyoub in second place, and Blanco in third place.
Live Wire still wouldn't win--he'd never make the instant runoff because he wouldn't be anyone's first choice.
