Ranked voting

Guidelines


 * Number of votes = Number of Options x 2 = _____.
 * Must use all your votes.
 * 50/50 rule:
 * Must vote for at least half the options (______).
 * No more than one half your votes (_____) on any one option.

List your options, one per column. List your group members, one per line. After having discussed your options, get each member to cast multiple votes per option.

Each voter gets twice the number of all options in votes. For instance, if there are 10 options, each voter gets 20 votes. Each voter must cast all their votes. Nobody may cast more than half their votes (10) for any one option, and everyone must vote for at least half (10) of the options. This forces voters to weigh the various options carefully since no one can pick a favorite and leave it at that.

For instance, if there are six options and one voter really likes the first three, she or he might choose to vote 6 times (the maximum) for option 1, 4 times for option 2, and 2 times for option 3 -- a total of 12 votes. The second voter might be more ambivilant, voting 3 votes for each of the first four options.

Total up the columns to get a handle on how much support each option has at any given time.

This method could be used to thin down a large nuber of options to a manageable number.