This link, from a Fox TV news station in Mankato, Minnesota, discusses Instant-Runoff Voting, and suggests that Minnesota would not be having its U.S. Senate recount if the state used IRV. Of course logically a race can be excruciatingly close under IRV as well, but in the particular example of the 2008 U.S. Senate race in Minnesota, chances are overwhelming that it would not have been close if IRV has been in use. The piece gives plenty of time to the Blue Earth County Auditor, a spokesperson for the anti-IRV side.
It would not have been as close with IRV perhaps but, on another note, if it hadn’t been for contesting and scrutinzing most of these ballots that would have been overlooked otherwise, it wouldn’t have brought to light all the shenangans with the ballots, and frankly continued disenfranchisment of the voters. “Lizard People” supporters included. 🙂
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. Priorities! Which is more important: tweeking the public administration of enfranchisement or continued disenfranchisement of non Democans and non Republicrats?
—– Donald Raymond Lake
IRV may have avoided a tie in this particular election, but it INCREASES the frequency of ties on average. So this argument by IRV advocates is deceptive.
http://scorevoting.net/TieRisk.html