Useful vote

The useful vote is in the political systems bipartisans, because of the Voting system, the tendency of part of the voters to vote for that of the two dominant parties (or options) of which they feel nearest, rather than for a party representing their sensitivity better but having only little chance to arrive at the capacity.

Within the framework of an election with two turns, the useful vote corresponds to the tendency of a voter to vote for the candidate (whom it less estimates far from his ideas) which is likely probably the most to pass the following turn.

More generally, the useful vote is a vote conditioned by the forecasts of a given result. That amounts for example estimating the impact of the two answers to a referendum and considering the least bad.

This concept is undoubtedly more transparent in our transatlantic neighbors, who use the terms tactical voting .

Polemic

Positive points

From a pragmatic point of view, the useful vote allows, a priori , to draw aside the candidates whom one considers too minority, even too harmful with the system in place.

Thus, at the time of the presidential election Frenchwomen of 2007, the useful vote was often preached in order to avoid new a April 21st, 2002 (advanced argument by the detractors of the National front).

But, at the time of these elections, one of the parties detractors, the Socialist party, was seen turning over against him the argument of the useful vote. Thus, during the last days of the presidential electoral campaign, the vote in favor of the center candidate, Francois Bayrou, became the useful vote to prevent the election of Nicolas Sarkozy.

The useful vote thus seems a concession made to the other voters.

Negative points

From a theoretical point of view, this practice admits some limiting which raise question. Indeed, an election, a referendum… represent occasions to express its opinion freely. However the useful vote is anything else only one consensus, which, in a certain manner, attaches this expression.

In addition, this denomination would imply that there exist useless votes. However, if a candidate with the French presidential election is “useless”, that to say of the 500 mayors who signed so that it can be candidate? In the same way, at the time of a referendum, it is rare that the subjected question has an obvious answer (which would be then the interest to subject it?).

Lastly, as described above, the useful vote is based on forecasts (formal or not). However, it is increasingly frequent, within the framework of the elections, that there is more than two candidates coming from majority parties. The useful vote thus does not make it possible in this precise case to consolidate a scenario considered.

See too

Voting system
Two-party system
Method Condorcet
Paradox of Condorcet
Theorem of impossibility of Arrow
Vote S: Blank vote, null Vote, Vote protestor.

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