From: Brian Atkins (brian@posthuman.com)
Date: Thu Nov 09 2000 - 16:10:51 MST
Do you think it is flawed to maximize the "power" of the voters in each
state/district?
Brian D Williams wrote:
>
> From: "S.J. Van Sickle" <sjvan@csd.uwm.edu>
>
> >>Brian D Williams wrote:
>
> >> It might eliminate the extremely obnoxious press coverage on
> >> election night where they were calling the election hours before
> >> before polls had closed.
>
> >I don't know about your other points, Brian, but on this one I
> >have actual experience. I worked the AP election "war room" in
> >New Orleans for 15 years worth of elections. Strict popular vote
> >would make it *much* easier to "call" an election early. We would
> >compare vote totals with historical voting patterns; with only a
> >popular vote it could probably be "called" after only 2 or 3 key
> >eastern states closed.
>
> If the patterns were the same everywhere, maybe AS easy I'll grant.
>
> Here's another point, it doesn't matter how many people vote, so
> long as you get the most votes in a state. Theoretically one person
> voting in Calif (only one) could give a candidate 56 electoral
> votes. A handfull in key states could successfully oppose millions
> to 1 odds.
>
> Actually the systems flaws speak for themselves, the guy who got
> less votes may actually win.
>
> Brian
>
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-- Brian Atkins Director, Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence http://www.singinst.org/
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