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Why CES Advocates for Approval Voting Instead of RCV | Center for Election Science
(electionscience.org)
this post was submitted on 23 Apr 2026
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How does this compare to first past the post? Does it make any difference in outcomes?
Reading the article it sounds simpler to me, but without weighting the selections (like ranked choice) it just sounds like Dems would select every Dem, and Republicans would just select every Republican - not really changing the outcome.
First past the post inherently reinforcers a two party system as voting for a third party benefits the parties that you least want. That's the spoiler effect.
Approval voting doesn't have that problem, so alternatives can actually show up and be viable.
RCV (actually IRV) has less of a spoiler effect than FPTP but it still has a substantial "centre squeeze" effect as moderate candidates
with broad support but few first preference votes
get eliminated early.
There are much better voting systems that actually attempt to identify the Condorcet winner. The only advantage AV or IRV have over Condorcet methods is simplicity
Ranked pairs is better than ranked choice.
Approval allows for a voter to vote for multiple preferred candidates without the fear of swinging the election to the rival candidate.
Many state laws tie party ballot access to the popular vote received in the governor's election, senate election, or presidential election. Ballot access to ALL local elections state-wide and will cost a fortune to pay people to collect signatures to get on the ballot. So, if you don't run anyone in the senate, governor, or presidential election a party will lose all ballot access in that state. We should make it like in the UK or some US states where you can just pay a fee and get state ballot access.
Yes. It may be the only chance American Democrats have of winning any future elections.
The next wildcard candidate will attract a bunch of votes, while a Democrat who stands for shitty compeomises could still get a "better than the other asshole" approval vote.
I doubt it. At best, Dem and wildcard liberal will get same amount of votes. Republican and wildcard conservative will get same amount of votes.
Except there's no non-wildcard Republican candidate.
They've cracked the formula for telling their voter base that this time will be different and anti-establishment.
While the Democrats have solved for how to exhaust their voter base patience. (Bombing innocent people in other countries.)
Approval based voting is the only way the Democratic party remains a player in American politics.