As Easy as 1-2-3

Final Report of the Vermont Commission to Study Instant Runoff Voting

Presented to the Vermont House of Representatives pursuant to H.R. 37

January 1999

THIS IS A VERBATIM COPY OF THIS INFLUENTIAL VERMONT REPORT, except that we at the Center for Range Voting are adding CORRECTIONS of ERRORS in this report. You can reach the corrections to each section by clicking the link entitled (corrections). There are a vast number of false and misleading statements in this report and it would be a big job to find them all. As we find them, we are converting them to green color on which you can click to reach the correction. We have barely begun that task but we have at least corrected the errors in the Executive Summary. (And in some cases a statement in the report is true but only because it is very very artfully worded... a fact which suggests an intentional plan of deception by its authors.)


Table of Contents


Introduction. Committee Members

Section 1. Executive Summary (corrections)

Section 2. Recommendations

Section 3. The Problem IRV Solves

Section 4. Discussion:

  1. Vermont's voting system is broken, and needs fixing
    Chart 1. Vermont Elections with No Majority Winner
  2. How Vermont's Voting System has Changed
  3. How IRV would work in Vermont
  4. IRV promotes majority rule in single-seat elections (corrections)
  5. IRV could increase voter participation
  6. IRV promotes government stability
  7. IRV encourages sincere voting rather than disingenuous tactical voting (corrections)
  8. IRV reduces the number of "wasted" votes (corrections)
  9. IRV more accurately reflects each voter's will (corrections)
  10. IRV encourages civility and less negative campaigning (corrections)
  11. IRV is simple for voters to use (corrections)
  12. IRV ballot design
  13. IRV will not create any increased burdens for local polling officials (corrections)
  14. IRV and polling place efficiency
  15. IRV will not generally delay election results (corrections)
  16. IRV treats all voters equally and does not give extra clout to some (corrections)
  17. IRV accommodates more candidates without vote splintering
  18. IRV does not favor or hurt any particular group (corrections)
  19. IRV would add no significant cost to running elections (corrections)
  20. The variety of runoff voting procedures
  21. IRV is superior to two-round runoff elections
  22. IRV can comply with Vermont's Constitution
  23. IRV faces no obstacle from federal laws or the federal constitution

Section 5. Areas for further study


Glossary of Terms