# Voting feature To help make voting in your community easier and fairer, you can now choose how you want votes to be counted. When you create a new vote, you can choose the Voting Type that works best for your project, i.e. whether you need a simple plurality or a ranked choice method. To understand this better, listen to the following audio: {% file src="" %} ### **What's New** **Before**, whenever you created a vote, there was only one way to count votes.\ **Now**, you have five options to choose from: * **Plurality (Hybrid):** A simple, easy way—everyone picks one or more favorite(s), and the option with the most votes wins. Unlike traditional plurality voting, this hybrid approach allows voters to select multiple preferences. * **Majority:** A formal way—everyone picks one option, and the winner must reach a specified threshold (e.g., 50% or 75%) and optionally meet a quorum. Best for governance and committee decisions. * **Condorcet IRV (Ranked Choice):** A smarter way—everyone can rank their favorites, so the most broadly liked option wins. Combines Condorcet pairwise comparison with Instant Runoff as a tiebreaker. * **Instant Runoff:** A ranked-choice method—voters rank options, and the option with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated each round until one has a majority. * **Meek STV:** For electing multiple winners—voters rank options, and a quota-based process selects the required number of winners. Best for committees and filling multiple seats. You'll see a new dropdown menu for **Voting Type** when you create a vote. *** ### **Understanding Voting Types** When creating a new vote, you can now select from five Voting Types. Each type counts votes differently and can affect which option (or candidate) wins. Select the type that best matches your needs. {% tabs %} {% tab title="Plurality Voting" %} **What is Plurality Voting?**\ Plurality voting is a straightforward method where each voter chooses one (or more) option(s). The option with the most votes wins, even if it does not get more than half of the total votes. This method is sometimes known as "First Past the Post". In PCC, a hybrid approach allows voters to select multiple preferences. **How it works:** * Each voter picks a single (or multiple) preferred option(s). * The option with the highest number of votes is the winner. * No threshold or quorum is required. **Example:**\ Suppose 10 people are voting on three features: * Feature A: 4 votes * Feature B: 3 votes * Feature C: 3 votes\ Result: **Feature A** wins (it has the most votes). **Advantages:** * Simple for voters and organizers. * Quick to set up and understand. * Works well for binary or simple multi-option decisions. **Limitations:** * Can split votes among similar options. * The winner may not always reflect the broadest preference of the group. * Not designed for electing multiple winners (use Meek STV instead). **When to use:** Quick polls (e.g., "Which date works best?"), simple yes/no or approve/reject decisions, or when you need a fast result with 2–3 clearly distinct options. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Majority Voting" %} **What is Majority Voting?**\ Majority voting requires the winning option to achieve a specified percentage of votes (e.g., 50% or 75%) and optionally to meet a quorum (minimum participation). Each voter picks one option. This ensures the winner has meaningful support. **How it works:** * Each voter picks a single option. * You set a **winning threshold** (e.g., 50%, 75%, or custom). * You can set a **quorum** (e.g., 50% of eligible voters must participate). * The option with the most votes wins only if it meets the threshold and quorum. **Example:**\ 20 eligible voters, 50% threshold: Option A gets 8 votes (40%), Option B gets 7 (35%). Result: No winner—Option A does not reach 50%. **Advantages:** * Ensures the winner has broad support. * Quorum protects against low-turnout decisions. * Clear rules for formal governance. **Limitations:** * May produce no winner if no option reaches the threshold. * Requires careful setup of threshold and quorum. * Not designed for electing multiple winners (use Meek STV instead). **When to use:** Board or committee decisions, bylaws, budgets, governance votes requiring a clear mandate, or when you need a supermajority (e.g., 2/3). {% endtab %} {% tab title="Condorcet IRV (Instant-Runoff Voting)" %} **What is Condorcet IRV?**\ Condorcet IRV combines "Condorcet" and "Instant-Runoff Voting" methods. Voters rank choices in order of preference. The system first checks for a Condorcet winner (an option that beats every other in head-to-head comparisons). If none exists, IRV is used as a tiebreaker. **How it works:** * Voters rank the options (1st choice, 2nd choice, etc.). * If an option wins every head-to-head comparison against others (Condorcet winner), it is selected. * If not, the IRV process is used: * The option with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated. * Votes for the eliminated option are transferred to the voter's next preferred choice. * This continues until one option has a majority. **Example:**\ 5 voters are ranking options A, B, and C. * If A beats B and C in all direct comparisons, A wins. * If not, IRV is used to find the option most preferred as their next-best choice. **Advantages:** * Reduces the risk of "vote splitting". * Usually results in a winner with broad support. * Condorcet winner reflects pairwise preferences when one exists. **Limitations:** * More complex than plurality voting. * Voters need to rank all options. * Ties are common if there is only a small group of voters. * Not designed for electing multiple winners (use Meek STV instead). **When to use:** Choosing among several similar options, when you want the "most broadly acceptable" choice, or when vote splitting is a concern. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Instant Runoff" %} **What is Instant Runoff Voting (IRV)?**\ Instant Runoff Voting is a ranked-choice method that elects a single winner. Voters rank options in order of preference. The option with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated each round, and those votes transfer to the voter's next preferred choice. This continues until one option has a majority. **How it works:** * Voters rank all options (1st, 2nd, 3rd choice, etc.). * The option with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated. * Votes for the eliminated option are transferred to each voter's next preferred choice. * This process repeats until one option has a majority of the remaining votes. **Example:**\ 21 voters, 3 options (A, B, C). Round 1: A=10, B=6, C=5 → C is eliminated; C's 5 votes transfer to next choices. Round 2: A=13, B=8 → A wins with a majority. **Advantages:** * Ensures the winner has majority support. * Avoids spoiler effects from similar options. * Simple for voters: just rank in order of preference. **Limitations:** * Voters must rank all options for full effect. * More complex to explain than plurality. * Not designed for electing multiple winners (use Meek STV instead). **When to use:** Single-winner elections (chair, lead, single proposal); when you want a majority winner without a separate runoff; when there are 3+ options and vote splitting is a concern. {% endtab %} {% tab title="Meek STV" %} **What is Meek STV?**\ Meek STV (Single Transferable Vote) is a ranked-choice method for electing **multiple winners** from a single poll. It uses a quota (Droop quota) and transfers surplus votes from elected options to remaining choices. The Meek method uses fractional transfers for precision. **How it works:** * Voters rank all options. * You specify the **number of winners** (e.g., 2, 3, or more). * A **quota** is calculated (minimum votes needed to be elected). * Options that reach the quota are elected; their surplus votes are transferred proportionally. * The option with the fewest votes is eliminated; its votes transfer to next preferences. * This continues until the required number of winners is reached. **Example:**\ Electing 2 winners from 5 options, 100 votes. Quota ≈ 34. Option A reaches 40 votes → elected; surplus of 6 transferred. Process continues until 2 winners are elected. **Advantages:** * Elects multiple winners in one poll. * Proportional representation: diverse preferences can be reflected. * Reduces wasted votes through transfers. **Limitations:** * More complex to understand and explain. * Requires specifying number of winners. * Counting is more involved than IRV or plurality. **When to use:** Electing a committee, board, or working group (e.g., 3 of 8 candidates); filling multiple seats in one vote; when you want proportional or diverse representation. {% endtab %} {% endtabs %} #### **Comparison Table** | Voting Type | How to Vote | How Winner is Chosen | Ease of Use | Best For | | ------------------ | ---------------- | --------------------------------------------- | ------------ | ---------------------------------- | | **Plurality** | Pick one or more | Most votes wins | Easiest | Simple decisions, quick polls | | **Majority** | Pick one option | Must reach threshold and meet quorum | Easy | Formal decisions, governance | | **Condorcet IRV** | Rank all options | Condorcet winner, or IRV tiebreaker | Moderate | Multiple similar options, fairness | | **Instant Runoff** | Rank all options | Eliminate lowest, redistribute until majority | Moderate | Single winner with broad support | | **Meek STV** | Rank all options | Elect multiple winners via quota | More complex | Committees, multiple seats | {% hint style="success" %} * **Plurality**: Quick, simple votes; pick one (or more), most votes wins. * **Majority**: Formal decisions; pick one, must reach threshold and optionally quorum. * **Condorcet IRV**: Several similar options; rank all, find the most broadly acceptable choice. * **Instant Runoff**: Single winner with majority support; rank all, eliminate lowest until one has a majority. * **Meek STV**: Elect multiple winners (e.g., committee); rank all, specify number of winners. {% endhint %} --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. 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