NARALO Single transferable vote methodology

This methodology allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.) rather than choosing just one. Each voter only ranks the candidates they support.

Whenever there are more than two candidates, the practice in NARALO is to have electors rank the candidates and use the Single Transferable Vote methodology. In the first round, the first-choice (Rank=1) votes for each candidate are tallied, and the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. Each vote for that eliminated candidate is then transferred to that voter’s second-ranked candidate. The transferred votes are counted as first-choice votes for the recipient candidate. In the second round, the votes for the remaining candidates are re-tallied, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and each vote for the eliminated candidate is transferred to that voter’s next choice. The process continues until there are only two candidates and a winner is declared. If there is a tie at this point, as per NARALO Rules of Procedure 2.3.5, the NARALO Chair casts a vote.

Example

Advantages:

Proportional representation: Better reflects voter preferences

Voter choice: Each voter can support multiple candidates

Minimizes “wasted” votes: If a voter’s top choice is not elected, their vote can still help elect a candidate they prefer.