In the Northampton County Council Lehigh County judge and Commonwealth Court judge election, there will be more than one winner when the polls close. There will be five winners on Northampton County, three new judges in Lehigh and two victors in the Commonwealth Court. This is where what is known as the bullet vote comes into play.
Bullet voting is a tactic used in multi-winner races. For example, on Northampton County Council, you may vote for up to five candidates. But let's say you really like one of them. If you vote for that person only, you have effectively given him (or her) five votes. In Lehigh County, if you vote for just one of the candidates, you will have given her (or him) the equivalent of three votes. In the Commonwealth Court, a vote for one candidate is the equivalent of two votes.
In smaller areas like the county races, a bullet vote has much more impact.
11 comments:
I won't say what party I am on but I will say I am your typical moderate Lehigh Valley resident. I have my opinions about Washington and the world but I am very concerned with this local election. Your article yesterday on the county council was illuminating. I hear so much about Lynch and McClure yet very little about the race for the council people. Without local coverage is is like it doesn't exist. I know of people helped by the county and that seems very important, yet not much is known. I do know that five people will be elected to the county council.
Sadly local issues like water out of the tap and toilets that flush are overshadowed by Afghanistan and loyalty to Trump or Biden. I read your article and fear Lynch and his ticket are more into national issues an don't even grasp the local needs. Also it appears that people like me are left out of identity politics of the cults of personality in the democrat party. The idea that women will only vote for women is strange in 2021. It means you assure you will lose seats. Also what I know of Zirinski she is far left and not very good at moderation at all. Apparently she is also running for name recognition to run for the state house next year. The other two women have strong backing. What about the two men McGee and Heckman? Based on your repot they have been abandoned by their party. The ultra progressive leftist democrats are as looney as the extreme right wing republicans if they make their party all about gender and far left social issues that the local government is not a part of.
What I have read and heard is that McGee is a thoughtful and decent person. I have heard of Heckmans name in the past as he is active with Bethlehem groups and he has county experience. What is happening in politics in both parties? Is it all about soundbites, gender and speeches or does substance, character and experience have a place?
It is a confusing time not just in the nation but even locally.
This make zero mathematical sense. Lawyers mathing is a flat out riot.
"What I have read and heard is that McGee is a thoughtful and decent person. I have heard of Heckmans name in the past as he is active with Bethlehem groups and he has county experience. What is happening in politics in both parties? Is it all about soundbites, gender and speeches or does substance, character and experience have a place?"
Based on what you say, you should vote for Heckman and McGee. This gives them the equivakenbt of 2.5 votes.
"This make zero mathematical sense. Lawyers mathing is a flat out riot."
Oh good! Then ignore what I say. It makes complete mathematical sense. If you have five votes and cast only one, you are giving your favorite a boost by denying votes to four other candidates. It reduces the vote total and makes your vote for one much more meaningful. I have read mathematicians who state this tactic does work. But please, ignore me.
Mathing things out like this is about the laws of dispersion. As you add more votes the dispersion can spread further thereby creating the potential for different results. It does not mean you will but it opens the opportunity for others. To expressed it in the most simplistic terms:
You have 3 people that can vote on something. So you get a result of based on a majority of 2 or more.
Where as when you have 5 people that can vote on something you only need a majority of 3 or more to more it forward by majority.
Thereby you dilute the single vote because there are more option to achieve the majority. And as the numbers grow in voters the proportionality of dilution continues.
Thanks i voted for only Tara, left the rest of the ballot blank
There is a Burr’s paradox if adopted too widely though. NYC was trying to do this with ranked choice voting.
Pretty milquetoast on Cohen. Maybe we should be bullet voting here.
The inverse argument is that you've discounted your vote by 80%, or squandered 80% of your available votes. If one-for-five works, however, it creates a low turnout scenario - if only for that office. Lower turnout is usually a good thing for the party with a registration deficit.
"Thanks i voted for only Tara, left the rest of the ballot blank"
You must like a talk and no action government
Vote for anyone but please leave the socialist cop hating Zirinski block blank!
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