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Simple English definitions for legal terms
instant-runoff voting
Read a random definition: Berne Copyright Convention
A quick definition of instant-runoff voting:
Instant-runoff voting is a way of voting where people rank their choices instead of just picking one. It's like having a second round of voting without actually having to vote again. The person with the most votes after all the rankings are counted wins. It's also called IRV or Hare-Ware voting.
A more thorough explanation:
Instant-runoff voting is a type of voting system where voters rank candidates in order of preference. Instead of having a second round of voting, the system uses each voter's ranked preferences to determine the winner.
For example, in an election with three candidates, a voter might rank them as follows: Candidate A (first choice), Candidate B (second choice), and Candidate C (third choice). If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed to the remaining candidates based on the voters' second-choice preferences. This process continues until one candidate receives a majority of the votes.
Instant-runoff voting is also known as Hare-Ware voting or the West Australian plan.