Re: ElectoramaWeekly for May 20 published; maybe looking more closely at software next week
Rob Lanphier via Election-Methods <[email protected]> Fri, 22 May 2026 20:00:18 -0700
| Newsgroups | gmane.politics.election-methods |
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| Message-ID | <CAK9hOY=uOSW3A3+2CdvXd6Ym55wcFxu1DN2ZM4XAB_5jyDfN1g@mail.gmail.com> |
--===============3521139696391815486== Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="000000000000aae4c80652735a15" --000000000000aae4c80652735a15 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi Richard, Sorry to see that RCTabPlus wasn't on the Software page. It's there now. Back when we were editing the March newsletter, I didn't entirely remove RCTabPlus, but I pretty aggressively summarized it https://electowiki.org/wiki/ElectoramaNews/2026-March#RCTabPlus You'll note that a lot of your original prose ended up on a new "RCTabPlus" article that I created on electowiki: https://electowiki.org/wiki/RCTabPlus Rob On Fri, May 22, 2026 at 10:52=E2=80=AFAM Richard <electionmethods@votefair.= org> wrote: > On 5/20/26 23:45, Rob Lanphier via Election-Methods wrote: > > What software is missing from that page? Is there any software that > > deserves to be highlighted by ElectoramaNews and/or > > ElectoramaWeekly ...? > > Missing from that list is the RCTabPlus software. > > I wrote a summary of it in your March newsletter, but my description was > removed before that newsletter was published. Here's what I wrote: > > > RCTabPlus software was announced in a graphic titled Ranked Choice > Voting Plus posted in r/EndFPTP. This open-source software is at: > Github/CPSolver/RCTabPlus > > RCTabPlus extends the RCTab election-grade software used by the RCVRC > (Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center) when they assist a US > jurisdiction with adopting ranked choice voting. RCTabPlus adds these > two options to both single-winner (IRV) and multi-winner (STV) ranked > choice voting: > > Overvote Rule: Count when single continuing > > Eliminate pairwise losing candidates > > The better overvote rule dramatically reduces the need to teach voters > to avoid overvotes (two or more marks in the same rank column). > > The pairwise-losing-candidate elimination (which works in both STV and > IRV elections) provides multiple benefits including: ensures majority > support for the IRV winner, eliminates the center squeeze effect, > dramatically reduces Condorcet failures, defeats political tactics that > exploit vote splitting, and eliminates the need for a voter to consider > whether their ballot will get stuck supporting their > favorite-but-less-popular candidate while their second-favorite > candidate gets eliminated. > > > > ... deserves to be highlighted ... and if so, why? ... > > RCTabPlus is very important because it provides a direct path for > building on the resources provided by the RCTab software, which is > maintained by the Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center. > > This resource is essential because when a jurisdiction adopts "ranked > choice voting" the state's or county's election-system vendor needs > election-grade software against which they can test their election > software (which is what's actually used in all US elections) to make > sure it complies with the new law that a city council or state > legislature passes. > > Importantly, both RCTabPlus and RCTab read the official "cast vote > record" data used in actual elections. Also note the RCTabPlus and > RCTab software includes real election data in formats recognized by > election-system vendors. > > If the RCTabPlus software had been available when Portland adopted > ranked choice voting (IRV for mayor and STV for city council) it would > have been possible to adopt the better overvote rule. That refinement > would have saved lots of money otherwise spent educating Portland voters > not to mark more than one candidate in each "rank" column of ovals. > > I believe this simple election-reform path is even simpler than adopting > approval voting. > > This "plus" version of ranked choice voting overcomes the only two > meaningful criticisms of IRV from STAR voting fans. > > And the elimination of pairwise losing candidates almost always elects > the Condorcet winner. > > Every jurisdiction considering adopting ranked choice voting should > become aware of these two options that are now available as additions to > RCVRC's election-grade RCTab software, which is used to validate real > election software. > > IMO the RCTabPlus election-grade software is very important! > > Richard Fobes > The VoteFair guy > > > > On 5/20/26 23:45, Rob Lanphier via Election-Methods wrote: > > Hi folks, > > > > ElectoramaWeekly for May 20 has been published: > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DMsq9aZA7VAI <https://www.youtube.com/ > > watch?v=3DMsq9aZA7VAI> > > > > In this week's episode, Taylor Eigen Fisher, Carlo Estefano, and I took > > a closer look at Ohio SB395 (the bill proposing Condorcet elections in > > Ohio), which you can read about on electowiki: > > https://electowiki.org/wiki/Ohio#SB395 <https://electowiki.org/wiki/ > > Ohio#SB395> > > > > A slightly overlapping group of folks also attended this month's > > ElectoramaCall, where we discussed future work both on the > > ElectoramaNews newsletter, and possible topics for ElectoramaWeekly > > (e.g. folks for us to interview). One thing we discussed in the latter > > part of the call was possibly focusing on software (both on > > ElectoramaWeekly and ElectoramaNews). As a result, I've done a bit of > > work on the "Software" page on electowiki: > > https://electowiki.org/wiki/Software < > https://electowiki.org/wiki/Software> > > > > What software is missing from that page? Is there any software that > > deserves to be highlighted by ElectoramaNews and/or ElectoramaWeekly > > (and if so, why)? Is software a good topic, or should we instead focus > > on one of the other topics we discussed (e.g. the gutting of the Voting > > Rights Act)? > > > > Rob > > > > ---- > > Election-Methods mailing list - see https://electorama.com/em for list > info > > --000000000000aae4c80652735a15 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr">Hi Richard,<div><br></div><div>Sorry to see that RCTabPlus= wasn't on the Software page.=C2=A0 It's there now.=C2=A0 Back when= we were editing the March newsletter, I didn't entirely remove RCTabPl= us, but I pretty aggressively summarized it</div><div><a href=3D"https://el= ectowiki.org/wiki/ElectoramaNews/2026-March#RCTabPlus">https://electowiki.o= rg/wiki/ElectoramaNews/2026-March#RCTabPlus</a></div><div><br></div><div>Yo= u'll note that a lot of your original=C2=A0prose ended up on a new &quo= t;RCTabPlus" article that I created on electowiki:</div><div><div><a h= ref=3D"https://electowiki.org/wiki/RCTabPlus">https://electowiki.org/wiki/R= CTabPlus</a></div><div><br></div><div>Rob</div><div><br></div></div><div><b= r></div><div><br></div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_cont= ainer"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Fri, May 22, 2026 at 10:52= =E2=80=AFAM Richard <<a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">ele= [email protected]</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmai= l_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,20= 4,204);padding-left:1ex">On 5/20/26 23:45, Rob Lanphier via Election-Method= s wrote:<br> =C2=A0> What software is missing from that page?=C2=A0 Is there any soft= ware that<br> =C2=A0> deserves to be highlighted by ElectoramaNews and/or<br> =C2=A0> ElectoramaWeekly ...?<br> <br> Missing from that list is the RCTabPlus software.<br> <br> I wrote a summary of it in your March newsletter, but my description was <b= r> removed before that newsletter was published.=C2=A0 Here's what I wrote= :<br> <br> <br> RCTabPlus software was announced in a graphic titled Ranked Choice <br> Voting Plus posted in r/EndFPTP. This open-source software is at: <br> Github/CPSolver/RCTabPlus<br> <br> RCTabPlus extends the RCTab election-grade software used by the RCVRC <br> (Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center) when they assist a US <br> jurisdiction with adopting ranked choice voting. RCTabPlus adds these <br> two options to both single-winner (IRV) and multi-winner (STV) ranked <br> choice voting:<br> <br> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0Overvote Rule: Count when single continuing<br> <br> =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0Eliminate pairwise losing candidates<br> <br> The better overvote rule dramatically reduces the need to teach voters <br> to avoid overvotes (two or more marks in the same rank column).<br> <br> The pairwise-losing-candidate elimination (which works in both STV and <br> IRV elections) provides multiple benefits including: ensures majority <br> support for the IRV winner, eliminates the center squeeze effect, <br> dramatically reduces Condorcet failures, defeats political tactics that <br= > exploit vote splitting, and eliminates the need for a voter to consider <br= > whether their ballot will get stuck supporting their <br> favorite-but-less-popular candidate while their second-favorite <br> candidate gets eliminated.<br> <br> <br> =C2=A0> ... deserves to be highlighted ... and if so, why?=C2=A0 ...<br> <br> RCTabPlus is very important because it provides a direct path for <br> building on the resources provided by the RCTab software, which is <br> maintained by the Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center.<br> <br> This resource is essential because when a jurisdiction adopts "ranked = <br> choice voting" the state's or county's election-system vendor = needs <br> election-grade software against which they can test their election <br> software (which is what's actually used in all US elections) to make <b= r> sure it complies with the new law that a city council or state <br> legislature passes.<br> <br> Importantly, both RCTabPlus and RCTab read the official "cast vote <br= > record" data used in actual elections.=C2=A0 Also note the RCTabPlus a= nd <br> RCTab software includes real election data in formats recognized by <br> election-system vendors.<br> <br> If the RCTabPlus software had been available when Portland adopted <br> ranked choice voting (IRV for mayor and STV for city council) it would <br> have been possible to adopt the better overvote rule.=C2=A0 That refinement= <br> would have saved lots of money otherwise spent educating Portland voters <b= r> not to mark more than one candidate in each "rank" column of oval= s.<br> <br> I believe this simple election-reform path is even simpler than adopting <b= r> approval voting.<br> <br> This "plus" version of ranked choice voting overcomes the only tw= o <br> meaningful criticisms of IRV from STAR voting fans.<br> <br> And the elimination of pairwise losing candidates almost always elects <br> the Condorcet winner.<br> <br> Every jurisdiction considering adopting ranked choice voting should <br> become aware of these two options that are now available as additions to <b= r> RCVRC's election-grade RCTab software, which is used to validate real <= br> election software.<br> <br> IMO the RCTabPlus election-grade software is very important!<br> <br> Richard Fobes<br> The VoteFair guy<br> <br> <br> <br> On 5/20/26 23:45, Rob Lanphier via Election-Methods wrote:<br> > Hi folks,<br> > <br> > ElectoramaWeekly for May 20 has been published:<br> > <a href=3D"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DMsq9aZA7VAI" rel=3D"noref= errer" target=3D"_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DMsq9aZA7VAI</a> = <<a href=3D"https://www.youtube.com/" rel=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_blan= k">https://www.youtube.com/</a> <br> > watch?v=3DMsq9aZA7VAI><br> > <br> > In this week's episode, Taylor Eigen Fisher, Carlo Estefano, and I= took <br> > a closer look at Ohio SB395 (the bill proposing Condorcet elections in= <br> > Ohio), which you can read about on electowiki:<br> > <a href=3D"https://electowiki.org/wiki/Ohio#SB395" rel=3D"noreferrer" = target=3D"_blank">https://electowiki.org/wiki/Ohio#SB395</a> <<a href=3D= "https://electowiki.org/wiki/" rel=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">https:/= /electowiki.org/wiki/</a> <br> > Ohio#SB395><br> > <br> > A slightly overlapping group of folks also attended this month's <= br> > ElectoramaCall, where we discussed future work both on the <br> > ElectoramaNews newsletter, and possible topics for ElectoramaWeekly <b= r> > (e.g. folks for us to interview).=C2=A0 One thing we discussed in the = latter <br> > part of the call was possibly focusing on software (both on <br> > ElectoramaWeekly and ElectoramaNews).=C2=A0 As a result, I've done= a bit of <br> > work on the "Software" page on electowiki:<br> > <a href=3D"https://electowiki.org/wiki/Software" rel=3D"noreferrer" ta= rget=3D"_blank">https://electowiki.org/wiki/Software</a> <<a href=3D"htt= ps://electowiki.org/wiki/Software" rel=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">htt= ps://electowiki.org/wiki/Software</a>><br> > <br> > What software is missing from that page?=C2=A0 Is there any software t= hat <br> > deserves to be highlighted by ElectoramaNews and/or ElectoramaWeekly <= br> > (and if so, why)?=C2=A0 Is software a good topic, or should we instead= focus <br> > on one of the other topics we discussed (e.g. the gutting of the Votin= g <br> > Rights Act)?<br> > <br> > Rob<br> > <br> > ----<br> > Election-Methods mailing list - see <a href=3D"https://electorama.com/= em" rel=3D"noreferrer" target=3D"_blank">https://electorama.com/em</a> for = list info<br> <br> </blockquote></div> --000000000000aae4c80652735a15-- --===============3521139696391815486== Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline ---- Election-Methods mailing list - see https://electorama.com/em for list info --===============3521139696391815486==--