(08-14-2023, 08:04 AM)p_rushing Wrote:

(08-10-2023, 10:51 PM)mikesez Wrote: The voting system is working as designed.
Ranked choice voting would eliminate both of them real quick.

It won't. You claim it allows 3rd parties but all it does is split the 1st place votes but then all the 2nd place votes go towards the establishment.

Look at what happened in Alaska.

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Alaska takes the ranked choice ballots and counts them using the instant runoff method.  The instant runoff method asks candidates to seek second choice votes from the supporters of the candidate with the fewest first choice votes.  For instance, consider a three way race between Biden, Manchin, and Trump.  It is clear that Manchin will have the least number of first choice votes and he would be eliminated.  Those ballots get distributed to Biden or Trump by second choice preference.   All Trump has to do to win in this case is play nice with Manchin supporters and convince them that he will be better than Biden.  Instant runoff means you need to find support from people who don't love you.  That is not necessarily an "establishment" candidate.
There are other counting methods that work better and are more predictable.  The round Robin/ Copeland method is the main one.
The point of all of these systems is to get candidates to do more than just find 35-40% of voters that are all fired up about them.  In each of these methods more support is required and the candidates have to play nice with some of the other candidates. And when leaders play nice with other leaders there is less frivolous talk of civil war.

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