Method Bordered

The method Borda is a Voting system balanced. Its first uses are very old, since it was used by the Roman Sénat until the year 105. It was formalized in 1770 by Jean-Charles of Bordered.

Bordered was a contemporary of Condorcet. The method which he proposed was an alternative to the Méthode Condorcet which Borda considered certainly equitable but difficult to implement. A polemic opposed these two men, each one defending his method as being most equitable.

It is used for elections with a seat or several seats. This voting system is very popular in the United States to allot sporting prices. It is by this method that are elected, inter alia, the best player of the major Ligues of baseball and champion equips it with collegial American football.

One finds this voting system for the parliamentary elections with Nauru, Kiribati, and in Slovenia. It is also used by the Academy of Science.

Procedures

One chooses a number N lower or equal to the number of candidates. Each voter builds then a list of N candidates by order preferably. To the first of the list, one allots N points, with the second N - 1 points, and so on, the nth one of the list seeing itself allotting 1 point. The score of a candidate is the sum of all the points which were allotted to him. The candidates whose scores are highest gain the elections.

If N = 1 , one finds the majority system of Scrutin to a turn.

If N is very large and where each one can stop its list where he wants, one finds the system of Vote by approval. Indeed, for large N , the candidates whom one classified appreciably receive the same number of points while the not classified candidates see themselves allotting zero point. Example: if, in an election where N = 10 , I arrange only three candidates, they will be seen allotting the respective notes of 10,9 and 8 or, it is proportional, the notes of 1,0,9 and 0,8, three notes close to 1, while the other candidates obtain a note of 0.

When the voting system obliges to arrange all the candidates, one can decrease by 1 the number of points allotted to each one: the first of the list obtains N - 1 points, the second N - 2 points and the last 0 points. Thus the score of each candidate is a number ranging between 0 and (N - 1) v where v is the number of votes cast.

An example

Let us imagine that four cities are requested to determine the city where the hospital will be built with regard to them.

Let us imagine in addition that the city has gathers 42% of the voters, the city B 26 % of the voters, the city C 15 % of the voters and the city D 17% of the voters

It is certain that each inhabitant wishes that the hospital be nearest possible to its city. The following classification is thus obtained:

what leads to the calculation of points according to:

Whereas the traditional method would have resulted in building the hospital in the city has, here the choice is made on the city B. One can notice that, in this case of figure, the choice coincides with that found by using the Méthode Condorcet but it is not always the case.

Possible electoral strategies

Among voters

The Borda method encourages the tactical or reasoned votes. The voters are sometimes brought to give up their favorite candidate if they realize that this one is not likely any to carry it. In the preceding example, the inhabitants of the cities has and D are encouraged with the compromise because they know that their city does not collect the unanimity.

In addition, the voters can also choose to disadvantage a candidate while placing it in a row lower than their real preference. In the preceding example, the city C is a serious adversary for the cities has and B which will then be tried to disqualify it by arranging it in the last. The same strategy applies for the cities C and D concerning the city B.

To the extreme, certain voters can have to present a list with a single candidate (if that is authorized), thus disadvantaging all the other candidates who collect 0 points. It could be the temptation of the city has in the preceding example. A parade exists however: It is enough to assign to the first of the list the number of points corresponding to the number of candidates being reproduced on the bulletin. In this alternative of the method Bordered, the city has does not may find it beneficial more to present a list to a name.

If the number of candidates is important, a strategy to eliminate an adversary consists in placing this one far behind of the candidates whose chances to be elected are very weak.

At the candidates

Certain parties can have to multiply the candidatures of the same thus increasing edge, by the play of the classification, the number of points allotted to their party.

See too

External bond

Institut Bordered in English
history of the English vote

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