On October 21, a Superior Court in Los Angeles County confirmed that California cities may use cumulative voting for their own elections. Santa Clarita had already agreed to use cumulative voting, but it had asked for a court ruling explicitly saying that cities may choose cumulative voting. Cumulative voting, for elections in which there are several winners, permits voters to cast either one vote for several candidates (typically three), or to give two votes, or even three votes, to a single candidate. See this story.
CV is one more HALF-ASS bogus reform.
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P.R. and nonpartisan App.V.
I may not fully understand cumulative voting, but I could see where it could be abused – if for example – a single voter can cast 3 votes for a single candidate. Seems like this would lead to “block” voting by a group which might not have the best interest of the community at heart.
Again, I may not fully understand cumulative voting. Perhaps others can enlighten me. If I can see where it would help a 3rd party candidate or a Independent, then I’d be more favorable.
Cumulative voting allows the biggest minority to win a super-majority through slate voting.
If you want exact and proportional representation, I have been studying this almost daily for 19 consecutive years, and the most mathematically perfect system is the Sainte-Lague parliament seat distribution system, Hagnebach-Bischoff method, multi-winner districts of two or more.
Don’t count on Wikipedia to show you the correct math formula but you can phone me anytime to ask; (831) 383-1409
Or, read the three methods for describing how the system works here:
http://www.usparliament.org/stv.php
Cumlative voting has been in use in PortChester, NY for Village Trustee elections in the past 2 election cycles. There are 6 Trustees who serve concurrent 3 year terms. Their experience has been that voter turnout has increased and that the results closely mirror the voter registration numbers. There are roughly equal number of Dems and Reps with an independent and a conservative thrown in. Voters there have also elected an African-American and a Latino. Racial exclusion was the cause of a lawsuit that brought about the cumulative voting “solution”.
pete healey:
“Racial exclusion was the cause of a lawsuit that brought about the cumulative voting “solution”.”
What criteria was the “racial exclusion” based on?