234 Methods of Election. 



figure three opposite the next, and so on, to as many names 

 as he pleases. 



It is, of course, unnecessary to mark all the names ; it is 

 sufficient to mark all but one. In what follows, if all the 

 names be marked, it is unnecessary to pay any attention to 

 the name marked lowest in order of preference. 



The mode of dealing with the papers is as follows : — For 

 the lowest candidate marked on any paper count one vote, 

 for the next lowest two votes, for the next three votes, and 

 so on, till the highest is reached, who is to receive as many 

 votes as there are names marked on the paper. The total 

 number of votes for each candidate is then to be ascertained; 

 and thence the average number polled. All candidates who 

 have not polled above the average are then to be excluded. 

 If more than one candidate be above the average, then 

 another scrutiny must be held as between all such candi- 

 dates. 



In counting up the votes for the second, or any subsequent 

 scrutiny, no attention must be paid to the names of any 

 candidates who have been excluded. 



As many scrutinies as may be necessary must be held, so 

 that finally all the candidates but one are excluded, and the 

 last remaining candidate is elected. 



Pe actio al Details. 



In order to show precisely the amount of labour which 

 would be required to carry out the proposed method, it may 

 be as well to state what appears to be the most convenient 

 way of making up the result. As in the ordinary methods, 

 it would be necessary to have a poll-book in which to keep 

 a tally of the votes. In this book the names of the candi- 

 dates should be printed from the same type as the ballot 

 papers are printed from. Each ballot paper should be 

 placed with the names in a line with the corresponding 

 names in the poll book, and the numbers written opposite to 

 the names on each ballot paper should then be copied into 

 the successive columns of the poll-book. In this way the 

 risk of error in transcription would be exceedingly small, 

 and any error which was made would be at once detected 

 on placing the ballot paper side by side with the column in 

 which its numbers are recorded. When this is done many 

 of the columns would contain vacant spaces. In every 

 vacant space in each column write a number greater by 

 unity than the largest number copied from the voting paper 



