THE ALTERNATE VOTE. 365 



15. The Double Vole Method. — Each elector votes for two out 

 of the three candidates, thus voting against the third, and the one 

 who gets a majority of votes is elected. Under this method a 

 candidate with an absolute majority as against all comers, may 

 be rejected. Supposing the voting to be 4 CA, 3 CB, 5 AB, there 

 are twelve selectors, and A, B, C, get respectively 9, 8, and 7 

 votes ; A is elected. (Here we may say 4 CA or 4 AC indif- 

 ferently (5), the relative position of A and C is a matter of no 

 moment, 'the vote for the one is just the same as the vote for the 

 other, and the expression AC does not mean that A is preferred 

 to C, but merely that these two are preferred to the unexpressed 

 third applicant B.) 



Now suppose of the 7 electors who voted for C, each con- 

 siders C better than A or B. Then, an absolute majority of the 

 twelve voters consider C to be the best man ; yet C is at the 

 bottom of the poll. 



16. Borda's Method. — Each selector has three votes, two of 

 which must be given to one candidate, and the third to another. 

 The candidate who gets most votes is elected. Say there are 12 

 selectors and suppose five prefer A to B, and B to C ; that is five 

 votes for AB, 5 AB, (note here and in Nanson's method AB 

 expresses that the voter prefers A to B, and also prefers B to C, 

 (6) the extra value given to a first vote is denoted by placing that 

 candidate's letter first). 



Say that two vote in the same way for AC, 2 AC, and five pre- 

 fer B to C, and C to A, and vote 5 BC. Then, as the first of each 

 of these three pairs has two votes to the other's one, the result 

 will be A has 14, B has 15, and C has 7. B is elected. Yet seven 

 out of the twelve electors preferred A to B and A to C ; those 

 namely that voted 5 AB, 2 AC. An absolute majority preferred 

 A to B and also A to C, and in spite of that B is elected. The 

 expression AB implies that both A and B are preferred to C, or 

 more than C (6). 



17. French Method of Double Election. — An election is held 

 under the single vote method. If no applicant has an absolute 

 majorit)'- of the votes polled, a second election is held of the two 

 highest candidates. 



We saw under the Single \'ote Method, where 12 voters voted 

 for A, B, C, respectively giving 5, 4, 3 votes, that if those 4 that 

 voted for B prefer C to A ; C, the rejected candidate both under 

 the single vote and here had an absolute majority in his favour. 



In this case further at the second election B would have had a 

 majority of two over A ; but if A's five voters preferred C to B, 

 and A had been excluded then C would have had a majority of 8 

 to 4 over B. Thus at both stages the French system of the double 

 ballot may give a false result. 



In the next three methods voters express their preferences by 

 writing the numerals i, 2, 3, etc., opposite the names of the 

 candidates in the order of their preference (6). 



18. Ware's Method. — Each elector has one vote at every 

 scrutiny. The candidates with fewest votes are thrown out one 

 by one at each scrutiny and their alternate votes are transferred 

 to the continuing candidate marked on it. Any applicant with 



