Score Voting
How It Works
Score Voting, also known as Range Voting, allows voters to rate each candidate on a numerical scale. For instance, voters might rate each candidate on a scale of 1 to 5, or 0 to 10, depending on the system in use. Each voter assigns a score to every candidate based on their preference. After all votes are cast, the scores for each candidate are summed, and the candidate with the highest total score wins the election.
Best for: Medium-sized groups (5-20 people) who want more flexibility to express their intensity of preference.
Trade-offs
Advantages
- Expresses preference strength: Voters can show exactly how much they prefer one candidate over another, offering more nuanced feedback.
- Simple to use: Voters only need to assign a score, making it intuitive and easy to understand for participants.
- No spoilers or vote splitting: Since all candidates are rated independently, voters can support multiple candidates without worrying about splitting their vote.
- Proportional support: Candidates are rewarded according to the strength of support from all voters, not just the most committed supporters.
Disadvantages
- Strategic voting is possible: Voters might exaggerate scores (maximizing scores for their favorite and minimizing others) to help their preferred candidate. If everyone does this, it is essentially a plurality vote.
- May favor polarizing candidates: Candidates who inspire strong feelings may receive very high or very low scores, leading to extreme outcomes.
- Harder to count for larger polls: Although simpler than IRV, collecting and totaling scores for multiple candidates can become difficult for larger groups.
- Unclear winner legitimacy: A candidate could win without being anyone’s top choice if they receive consistently middling scores from many voters.