- In Ranked Choice voting you cast a single vote, but you can automatically change your vote based on how other people voted
- In Approval Voting you can vote for multiple candidates at once, but your vote doesn't change from the moment you cast it
I present to you: Ranked Choice Approval Voting!
The rules:
- Cast a ranked ballot, in exactly the style of Ranked Choice Voting
- Initially you vote for only your first choice
- In each round of voting, if 1) you aren't currently voting for the winner, and 2) the best candidate you haven't voted for isn't winning, then you cast an additional vote for the best candidate you haven't voted for yet.
- Continue until no one wants to change their vote according to the previous rule
- Whoever has the most total votes wins
- 18 votes for A>B>C
- 24 votes for B>C>A
- 15 votes for C>A>B
Round 1:
- 18 votes for A>B>C
- 24 votes for B>C>A
- 15 votes for C>A>B
The 15-vote group casts additional votes for A in an attempt to make B stop winning.
Round 2:
- 18 votes for A>B>C
- 24 votes for B>C>A
- 15 votes for C>A>B
The 24-vote group casts additional votes for C in an attempt to make A stop winning.
Round 3:
- 18 votes for A>B>C
- 24 votes for B>C>A
- 15 votes for C>A>B
The 18-vote group casts additional votes for B in an attempt to make C stop winning.
Round 4:
- 18 votes for A>B>C
- 24 votes for B>C>A
- 15 votes for C>A>B
No one can do anything about that. Nash equilibrium and all that crap. B wins!
So, what are the advantages over...
Ranked Choice voting: IRV (the most popular implementation of RCV) elects A in this case, which is dumb. RCAV actually elects the best candidate - the most-loved and the least-hated.
Approval voting: How do you know where to draw the line between "good enough" and "not good enough"? RCAV automatically draws the line for you in the most advantageous place.