Encyclopedia > Bloc voting

  Article Content

Bloc voting

Bloc voting refers to a class of voting systems which can be used to elect several representatives from a single constituency[?].

In first past the post bloc voting, each voter places n Xs on the ballot paper, where n is the number of candidates to be elected. The n candidiates with the highest number of votes are elected.

In preferential bloc voting, each voter places the numbers 1..n on the ballot paper. Candidates with the smallest tally of first preference votes are eliminated (and their votes transfered) until a candidate has more than half the vote. The system is re-started n times with the elected candidates removed and all votes returning to full value.

The bloc voting system is extremely undemocratic, allowing complete landslide majorities and small cohesive groups of voters to overpower larger groups which do not engage in tactical voting.

Bloc voting has its origins in common law [can someone confirm or deny this?]. It was used in the Australian Senate from 1901 to 1948 and is often used to elect the boards of directors of corporations.



All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License

 
  Search Encyclopedia

Search over one million articles, find something about almost anything!
 
 
  
  Featured Article
242

...   Contents 242 Centuries: 2nd century - 3rd century - 4th century Decades: 190s 200s 210s 220s 230s - 240s - 250s 260s 270s 280s 290s Years: 237 238 239 ...

 
 
 
This page was created in 31.8 ms