Placet
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Randomised Condorcet

Condorcet, with luck to break di lock.

Condorcet with escape door: when di duels dey go round in circle, dem go draw di winner by chance among di blocked options. Decision sure, and no hidden arbitrariness.

Like Condorcet, but when di duels dey go round in circle (A>B>C>A), we go draw di winner by luck from di loop wey lock.

Condorcet, but you break di lock by luck.

Start vote with dis method →

How e dey work, well well

As long as Condorcet winner dey, dis variant na exactly Condorcet: chance no dey enter at all.

Dem go draw lots only when cycle happen, and no be from anywhere: Placet dey draw from di SMITH SET, di smallest group of options wey beat every option outside am. Option wey dem don beat no get any chance.

Di result no dey reproducible: na di price of decision wey sure. When di matter heavy, announce di draw to di group before you run am.

Example wey get figures

Three options, perfect cycle — di textbook case of di paradox.

DuelResultWinner
Lyon vs Bordeaux6 – 3Lyon
Bordeaux vs Lille6 – 3Bordeaux
Lille vs Lyon6 – 3Lille
  1. Lyon beat Bordeaux, Bordeaux beat Lille, Lille beat Lyon: di circle don complete.
  2. No option win all im duels: plain Condorcet stop here.
  3. Di three of dem form di Smith set; di draw pick one, each with one chance out of three.

Chance no dey replace di vote: e dey only settle between options wey di group don make exactly equal. Any other tie-break go bring bias wey nobody vote for.

Where e come from

To draw lots no be last resort: na di normal way of Athenian democracy, wey dey use di kleroterion to share most public offices, and dem keep election for technical roles.

E still dey inside modern electoral law as tie-break: plenty electoral codes, French own included, dey settle exact tie by lot or by age. Some US states dey do am literally, dem go draw card or flip coin.

For social choice theory, lottery get serious standing: na di only known way to stay neutral between options and anonymous between voters when preferences block. Randomisation dey bring back fairness wey determinism no fit give.

Where dem dey use am

  • Decisions wey must land today, on hot topic.
  • Groups wey split into three clear camps, where cycle likely.
  • To break exact ties, instead of chairman vote wey people fit challenge.
  • Any situation where deadlock cost pass imperfect choice.

Limits and wahala

✓ GOOD SIDE
  • E always get result
  • E keep di agreement logic
  • E discourage tactical lock
✕ BAD SIDE
  • You gatz accept small luck
  • E hard to explain
  • E fit surprise you for paradox
No dey reproducible
If dem count di same ballots twice, e fit give two winners. Announce am BEFORE di vote, if not, people get right to complain.
Culture no dey accept am well
« We draw lots » no dey enter people ear, even when na di fairest answer. You must explain di deadlock.
E dey hide information
Cycle dey talk something about di group: three camps wey no fit gree. Di draw settle am without di group discussing dat diagnosis.

Questions wey people dey ask

Chance dey always involved?

No, e rare well well. As long as one option win all im duels, dem go declare am winner exactly like plain Condorcet. Di draw dey only for cycles.

Wetin be di Smith set?

Di smallest group of options where each member beat every option outside am. When cycle happen, na di leading pack: di draw dey only pick options wey really dey race.

Dis one na true democracy?

Like di alternatives, and e honest pass dem. When cycle happen, EVERY tie-break rule — alphabet order, seniority, chairman vote — dey favour somebody. Lot na di only tie-break wey no favour anybody, and e dey only apply between options wey di group put for equal level.

Check dis too

Simple CondorcetBorda countFirst-past-the-post

Voting methods