PREFERENTIAL VOTING Meaning and
Definition
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Preferential voting, also known as ranked-choice voting or instant-runoff voting, is an electoral system in which voters rank candidates in order of preference on the ballot. It allows voters to express their choices more fully by indicating not only their first-choice candidate but also their second, third, and subsequent preferences.
Under preferential voting, if no candidate receives an absolute majority (i.e., more than 50% of the votes) in the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. The eliminated candidate's votes are then redistributed to the remaining candidates according to the voters' next preferences. This process continues until one candidate secures an absolute majority of votes.
The purpose of preferential voting is to ensure that the winner of the election is more representative of the majority's preferences. It allows voters to support their preferred candidate without fear of wasting their vote on a less popular candidate. By ranking multiple candidates, voters have the opportunity to express their opinions on a broader scale, promoting a more nuanced electoral outcome.
Preferential voting is commonly used in countries such as Australia and Ireland for parliamentary and local government elections. It is also utilized in some U.S. jurisdictions for primary elections and local contests. With its emphasis on majority rule and its ability to accommodate diverse voter preferences, preferential voting is considered a more democratic and inclusive alternative to traditional plurality-based electoral systems.
Common Misspellings for PREFERENTIAL VOTING
- oreferential voting
- lreferential voting
- -referential voting
- 0referential voting
- peeferential voting
- pdeferential voting
- pfeferential voting
- pteferential voting
- p5eferential voting
- p4eferential voting
- prwferential voting
- prsferential voting
- prdferential voting
- prrferential voting
- pr4ferential voting
- pr3ferential voting
- prederential voting
- precerential voting
- preverential voting
- pregerential voting
Etymology of PREFERENTIAL VOTING
The term "preferential voting" is derived from the word "prefer", which comes from the Latin word "preferre" meaning "to carry in front, put forward". The suffix "-ential" is added to form an adjective denoting something related to or characterized by preference. Therefore, "preferential voting" refers to a voting system in which voters have the option to express their preference for multiple candidates in order of priority.
