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The Voting System That Should Replace Every Election

CGP Grey · explainer · Watch on YouTube

US politics & electionsProbability & game theory

What it is

A short CGP Grey explainer on the alternative vote (instant runoff voting) versus first past the post, made around the 2011 UK referendum. It shows how ranked ballots are tallied and why they avoid spoiler effects.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN's go-to link whenever ranked-choice voting or voting reform comes up, because it explains the mechanics quickly and entertainingly.

  • 7 people recommended it
  • 7 different months
  • 2 strong recommendations
  • first 2012, last 2021

What HN commenters said

  1. “I've been a huge fan of this system ever since CGP Grey made an excellent video on how it works and why it's great.”

    Clear explanation of how ranked-choice voting works and why it is good

    rpmisms, 2019-10 · Strong recommendation · in “Ranked-choice voting is on the ballot in New York City”

  2. “Highly recommend his videos. Funny and informative.”

    Funny, informative explanation of alternative voting

    Timothycquinn, 2021-06 · Strong recommendation · in “What is ranked-choice voting and why is New York using it?”

  3. “Fix the voting system, and open up this possibility.”

    Argues for a better voting system than FPTP

    tokenizer, 2012-11 · Recommendation · in “We Need a Programmer for President”

  4. “CGP Grey has a great video explaining it”

    Explains the Alternate Vote as a gerrymandering fix

    civilian, 2015-10 · Recommendation · in “How I Teach Gerrymandering”

  5. “If you want to learn more”

    Explains why alternative voting avoids the spoiler effect

    slacka, 2018-12 · Recommendation · in “Fake Net Neutrality Comments Draw A Federal Probe”

  6. “This video does a good job of explaining RCV”

    Explains how RCV votes are tallied

    grifball, 2020-10 · Recommendation · in “Maine Becomes First State to Use Ranked-Choice Voting in a Presidential Election”

  7. “watch Anark's aptly-titled video "after the revolution”

    Anarchist governance structure that addresses scaling of direct democracy

    hnbad, 2021-07 · Recommendation · in “Beyond “Fermi’s Paradox” XVI: What Is the “Dark Forest” Hypothesis?”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: alternative vote, instant runoff, first past the post, electoral reform, spoiler effect

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