Opponents of IRV have cited a survey conducted by the election administrator in Pierce County showing voters didn like using IRV. Is that valid?
No. Some Internet Bloggers and even news headlines have mistakenly suggested that this survey proved that most voters in Pierce County did not like their first experience with IRV. This was an unscientific survey that did not use random selection, but rather a self-selection method among voters who were mailed ballots. Social scientists agree that the results of such self-selected surveys are essentially meaningless. People who have a complaint are far more likely to seize an opportunity to express themselves than people who are generally satisfied. For example self-selected surveys on the Internet showed that Ron Paul would sweep the Republican primaries in 2008, simply because his supporters were motivated to respond more than others. Likewise with the survey on satisfaction with the ranked voting experience, that minority of voters who lost at the polls in the initial referendum on whether to adopt ranked choice voting, likely viewed the survey as a free way of complaining again, wh
Related Questions
- If there is no resolution to the Florida election by December 18 (the date set for the Electoral College to meet), will Floridas voters be left out of the selection of the president?
- Opponents of IRV have cited a survey conducted by the election administrator in Pierce County showing voters didn like using IRV. Is that valid?
- Where will the survey be conducted?
