If you are concerned because of the overload of
"opposition" candidates for Executive Board, here's one thing you can
do: Vote ONLY for those you want to get in. You do not need to vote for the
maximum number; in fact, this can hurt your cause.
Limiting your votes helps because it results in your "good
candidates" outpacing all the "bad candidates" by (your) one
vote. Multiply this by fifty or a hundred voters and it can be a pretty
effective voting strategy.
If, on the other hand, you vote for five candidates you like
and five you don't like, the five you don't like are simply keeping pace with the
five you do like.
Let's say your vote was the last one to be tallied, and
let's say that before your vote was counted, Candidate A (good guy) was
trailing Candidate B (bad guy) by one vote. If you vote for both, Candidate A loses.
But if you vote ONLY for Candidate A, it's a tie. And if two of you should do this
and vote only for Candidate A, he wins.
I put a blurb on the blog to this effect two years ago during
an election period, and the opposition cried "Foul! Unfair!" That's
nonsense. It isn't unfair at all—it's perfectly legal and intelligent voting,
and done all the time.
Lanny
ReplyDeleteSomewhat confused by your explanation...Why would anyone vote
for someone unworthy, in their opinion? One votes for the individual,(s) who in their Association's opinion would Best Serve the Village..They do NOT have to Vote the Maximum allowed...they can vote any amount, UP to 2 VP's
& 10 for XBd...
Let's keep it simple!!!!
What you are suggesting in part of your comments, is using the "bullet" vote -- voting for only one candidate of the maximum allowed.
ReplyDeleteYour explanation makes perfect sense. Only vote for the candidates that you want to get in.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Bettie, but some people don't realize they can vote for fewer than the maximum number of slots open in an election, and that by voting for the maximum number they could be doing harm to their own cause. Also, there are often candidates who aren't ideal but aren't terrible, either. By voting for a candidate who falls into your ideal category AND too many who falls into your "gray" area category, you could harm the chances of your ideal candidate to get in if the race were close.
ReplyDeleteThis is best illustrated assuming all votes have been tallied except for two, yours and that of a friend who votes the same as you.
Assume there are four candidates: A (excellent), B (good), C (fair) and D (terrible). Assume before you and your friend vote, the vote totals are: A-5, B-7, C-6 and D-8.
There are openings for three (the max). If both of you vote for A, B and C, the final tally becomes A-7, B-9, C-8 and D-8. Your "excellent" candidate A loses.
If, however, you both vote for only A and B, the final tally becomes A-7, B-9, C-6 and D-8. Your Candidate A wins.
Yes, this is like bulleting.
I hope I've got this straight. I could think these things through better when I was in high school!
Lanny:
ReplyDeleteWe're all a FAR CRY from HS, or
even College for that matter...
As I said.."Keep it Simple"