The Virginia Republican Party is using a convention this year to choose nominees for the three statewide offices, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General. The convention was Saturday, May 8. The party is using ranked choice voting and is counting all the ballots by hand. The results aren’t available yet, but they probably will be on Monday, May 10. See this story.
Can someone please explain how certain voters become official delegates? Apparently this was not open to every Virginia Republican?
Dear god, by hand? Even us in the Libertarian party were able to create our own secure app/website for people to vote and have the tallies available almost immediately. How many millions of dollars does the GOP have and they’re still acting like its the 19th century
@Brandon Lyon…. It’s because they want to make it seem like it’s an impossible daunting task to convince Republican voters it’s not a good idea for an actual election. Republicans tend to win by largest minority, and they’re unlikely to win any IRV elections unless they win on the first round. It’s one reason why Republicans should back Single Transferable multi-member districts. It’s Ranked Choice, but they’ll still win seats.
News reports say they decided to do it by hand because some candidates were suspicious of the computerized vote-counting process.
CONDORCET = RCV DONE RIGHT.
https://electionlawblog.org/?p=122048
BAAAAD RCV BALLOT FORM
— MAYOR LONDON, ENGLAND
—–
EXECS – APPV – NONPARTISAN — PENDING CONDORCET = RCV DONE RIGHT.
“were suspicious of the computerized vote-counting process” … aka I hate the entire idea, let’s make it as complex as possible so we never do it again. They can easily do both paper scantrons (or electronic machines with paper print outs that contain checksums – I.e; sha256 cryptographic hashes) then do a paper audit over the following week.
Aiden – Might not have anything to do with ranked choice. They might just be trying to appear consistent. I
I am sure there are some Republicans there who, 6 months ago, were complaining that they don’t trust a computer to do the counting. They’re embarrassed to come out now like suddenly everything’s fine.
scanners — since 1930s (repeat 1930s) — multiple choice education tests
NEW AGE = STONE AGE Elephants
With candidates like Amanda Chase in the nut mix, would you expect anything else?
“How many millions of dollars does the GOP have and they’re still acting like its the 19th century”
That’s a big part of the Republicans’ problems. Their mind-set has not evolved. They are constantly fighting rear guard actions against the future.
Reagan and Gingrinch were the last Republicans with any brains.
Personally I would never allow a computer to be in charge of anything important. Luckily, there was no vote fraud before there were computers.
I remember when the Cambridge City Council elections were counted by hand. (They have used ranked choice voting for many years.) It would take DAYS to complete the count. After any candidate was eliminated, it was like a run off election with a new count. Now with scanners to record the vote, and computers to run the count iterations, it can be done in a day.
If the Republicans want an alternative voting system that doesn’t require computers, I would highly recommend approval voting. Several Libertarian state parties use approval voting at their conventions.
“Luckily, there was no vote fraud before there were computers.”
HAHAHAHAHAHHA
Maybe we need to go to an uncomplicated system. For example, I remember I voted on the Eastern Shore of Maryland on a cardboard ballot. I asked them what do I do with it after I am done? They said throw it on the table upon exiting. So, I threw it up on a heap of other completed ballot. I thought that was funny; but, the votes were counted right without all that electronic bull-crap.
I’m with you, dude. I like my clothes sewn the old fashioned way, by hand. If my food doesn’t come from an organic garden, caught by hand from the river or killed with a bow and arrow, and taken to market with a horse and buggy, I don’t want it. One time they tried to put a pacemaker in my grandpa, but I put a stop to that. I hear him thanking me every time I bring flowers to his grave.
How many New Age input/output scanners in factories, stores and warehouses ???
OLDE time fraud –
LBJ USA Senate election in 1948, Kennedy Prez election in IL in 1960, etc etc etc.
Why not just use good old-fashioned paper ballots?
“Why not just use good old-fashioned paper ballots?”
They did, but with ranked choice voting.
That takes time.
Better to use approval voting with paper ballots.
@WZ,
Cambridge uses a really archaic counting method that is dependent on the order ballots are processed. When ballots are transferred, they literaly require ballots to be transfered one at a time. If you had a table for each candidate, you would have to walk ballots one by one between tables. That is why hand counts took so long. Ireland hand counts their STV ballots by hand.
@JR
It would appear that the Republicans in Virginia were ill-prepared for their experiment, in any case.
@JR
Anyway, what you say about Cambridge is quite true. They had to transfer the ballots one by one from one candidate’s basket, to the other candidates. The multi-day process actually became a community event, and some people were disappointed when it was replaced by a computerized method.
Why not use good old fashioned papyrus and quill or stone and chisel?
@NL:
According to Wikipedia, the Romans used wax tablets:
“The lex Gabinia tabellaria of 139 BC introduced the secret ballot, where each voter wrote the initials of the desired candidate on a small wax tablet to be placed in a box known as the cista at the exit of each of the pont.”
All the candidates were “write-ins”
You know, if every ballot just had write-in places for every office, with no names, then every election would be a literacy test for every voter.
On the one hand, I like the Romans. On the other, they were way to innovative. Why mess with a good thing?
wz-
see 2010 AK usa sen –
zillion variations of MURKOWSKI — WRITE-IN
It’s not those who vote who count, it’s those who count the votes.
As I’ve said before, blank ballots are ideal.
“zillion variations of MURKOWSKI — WRITE-IN”
If someone can’t do enough research to learn how to spell the name of a candidate correctly, then perhaps the person’s vote shouldn’t count.
Some people have dyslexia. It’s not a reason to take away their voting rights.
Romans also had early version of gerrymanders —
voting by tribes — using olde downtown Rome animal pens.
Wiped OUT after killer Aug. Caesar took over in 27 BC.
Senate de facto dead in AD 200s.
10 May 1775 – 2nd Continental Congress meets –
CRISIS after news of 19 Apr 1775 Battles of Lexington/Concord arrives by CRISIS horse express riders.
USA Army created. Gen. Washington sent to 1775-1776 Boston siege.
Various Revolutionary bodies created in Brit Am colonies – later States in the USA.
Events proceed to Dec 1791 – USA Const Amdts 1-10 Bill of Rights.
https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/the-continental-congress