Comments on: U.S. District Court Approves Cumulative Voting for Port Chester, New York

By: Demo Rep

Demo Rep — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:39:21 +0000

What century will GENIUS lawyers and judges detect that –

Total Votes / Total Seats = EQUAL votes for each seat winner

= P.R. = REAL Democracy = ALL voters get representation on legislative bodies.

Other option — Each seat winner has a voting power equal to the votes he/she gets.

Need a TV Price is Right adding machine for larger bodies — computer spreadsheet child’s play.

By: Bob Richard

Bob Richard — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:18:58 +0000

Cumulative voting requires that both candidates and voters know how to play the game. If your segment of the community “deserves” (in proportional terms) one seat on the council or board, this is fairly easy. You run one candidate and all of her supporters give her all of their votes. But if you have enough support to win two or more seats, it gets tricky. You have to run the right number of candidates, to avoid vote splitting, and instruct your voters in detail on who should use their votes for which members of the slate.

This need for information and strategy means that choice voting (STV) is a much better method than cumulative voting. But, so far, both judges and voting rights advocates have preferred cumulative voting and the limited vote.

I think these cases are very important, both in their own right as a matter of justice for minority voters, and as a step toward electoral reform affecting everyone. I’m very glad that Richard consistently covers them.

By: Jim Riley

Jim Riley — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:33:59 +0000

The judge had made his original ruling in January 2008. On October 22 of the US Attorney wrote the judge to “respectfully” (language in the letter) to get off his duff (my interpolation) and issue a ruling. The DOJ sought single member districts, while the Village advocated cumulative voting.

Currently the 6-member board of trustees has one vacancy, 2 appointees, and 3 members serving expired terms (apparently the judge enjoined holding of any elections). The board recently declined to make another appointment to the board.