<div dir="auto">+1</div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mar 8, 2017 03:43, "Ian Jackson" <<a href="mailto:ijackson@chiark.greenend.org.uk">ijackson@chiark.greenend.org.uk</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">(Background:<br>
<br>
We discussed voting systems extensively on spi-private and spi-general<br>
in July and August 2017.<br>
<br>
Recently, the Board asked me to<br>
<br>
draft a resolution to replace the existing Condrocet-based voting<br>
algorithm with a more appropriate algorithm, taking into account any<br>
existing feedback from spi-general, in time for the March meeting<br>
(2017-MAR-13).<br>
<br>
We have had a renewed discussion here on spi-general.)<br>
<br>
Since my previous draft resolution, there have been no comments that<br>
lead me to want to make any changes. I've had positive feedback from<br>
the Secretary. I think the Board should vote on the resolution below.<br>
(This is identical to the previous one but with the paragraph<br>
numbering bug fixed.)<br>
<br>
NB that I will be offline on the 10th and 11th of March, and will have<br>
only limited network access between then and the Board meeting. So if<br>
there are any more comments, please make them ASAP.<br>
<br>
Ian.<br>
<br>
<br>
WHEREAS<br>
<br>
1. SPI should elect its Board using a roughly-proportional voting<br>
system. Condorcet is good for single-winner elections but is<br>
seriously lacking in proportionality in multi-winner elections such<br>
as SPI's Board Elections.<br>
<br>
2. SPI is not equipped to effectively design or analyse voting<br>
systems. We wish to adopt a system widely used elsewhere, and<br>
which is recommended by civil society organisations specialising in<br>
voting reform.<br>
<br>
3. The Single Transferrable Vote is the only proportional voting<br>
system, suitable for SPI, which meets these criteria.<br>
<br>
4. The Scottish STV variant is clearly specified; we have an<br>
established and stable Free Software implementation of it; and it<br>
is straightforward to (re)implement. Other STV variants appear to<br>
lack some of these good properties.<br>
<br>
5. Ian Jackson has offered to help with the implementation of STV for<br>
SPI.<br>
<br>
THEREFORE THE SPI BOARD RESOLVES<br>
<br>
6. Future elections to the SPI Board will be counted according to the<br>
Scottish Single Transferrable Vote. Scottish STV will also be used<br>
by SPI for any other multi-winner election.<br>
<br>
7. Specifically, the algorithm to be used is that specified in<br>
Rules 45-52 of the Scottish Local Government Elections Order<br>
2007 (a UK Statutory Instrument):<br>
<a href="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2007/42/schedule/1/part/III/crossheading/counting-of-votes/made" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.legislation.gov.uk/<wbr>ssi/2007/42/schedule/1/part/<wbr>III/crossheading/counting-of-<wbr>votes/made</a><br>
<br>
8. The practical implementation will be by means of software; for<br>
example, perhaps the openstv package in Debian. The choice of<br>
software is up to the Secretary. However, any differences between<br>
the Rules in the Order, and whatever software implementation is<br>
chosen, are to be resolved in favour of the Rules.<br>
<br>
9. The SPI Secretary is requested to liase with Ian Jackson, so that<br>
the necessary changes to SPI software and infrastructure can be<br>
identified and implemented.<br>
<br>
<br>
--<br>
Ian Jackson <<a href="mailto:ijackson@chiark.greenend.org.uk">ijackson@chiark.greenend.org.<wbr>uk</a>> These opinions are my own.<br>
<br>
If I emailed you from an address @<a href="http://fyvzl.net" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">fyvzl.net</a> or @<a href="http://evade.org.uk" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">evade.org.uk</a>, that is<br>
a private address which bypasses my fierce spamfilter.<br>
______________________________<wbr>_________________<br>
Spi-general mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:Spi-general@lists.spi-inc.org">Spi-general@lists.spi-inc.org</a><br>
<a href="http://lists.spi-inc.org/listinfo/spi-general" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://lists.spi-inc.org/<wbr>listinfo/spi-general</a><br>
</blockquote></div></div>