Mathematics of Elections
There’s no better time to be a stats junkie than election time!
A great site for families looking into “voting mathematics” is www.votepair.ca. The actual purpose of this site is to arrange strategic “vote swapping,” but the arguments presented in favour of this controversial practice (and the comments left by visitors to the site) really do illuminate the issues with our current election model.
While I’m neither encouraging nor discouraging the practice of strategic vote swapping, the mere fact that this practice exists speaks volumes about the practicalities of the current system, and of course, about statistics!
I thought I’d blog about this site because this is just one passionate, dedicated voter running the site out of his home who has made a list of how people could help him out. One request was for:
Content. Need more engaging, visual content on voting reform and the pair process. Interested in posting stories that illustrate the problems with current electoral system as they surface in the media. Two have been posted on the blog, need lots more.
So, I figured that if your family ended up taking this voting math seriously and wanted to do some interesting research/analysis/models . . . then why not send it to Gerry for inclusion on his website? It’s not necessarily about supporting his cause; it’s about an educational experience, and educating the public.
Gerry also asked for help with:
Vote pairing process. Need to finalize exactly how this is going to work. I’ve got a plan, but can use some feedback. Need to get data on strategic voting ridings. Also concerns about phony registrants to think about.
What could be more mathematically delicious then designing a vote-swapping system?! Tell him you’re a homeschooling family (or co-op) and would like to get the kids involved in this. Gerry made a point of saying:
To get more involved, email pairvote@gmail.com and let me know what interests you. I’m more interested in a willingness to participate than in ability or experience. Heck, I’m learning lots on-the-job, and so can you.
Again, you need not agree with the goals of the site to get something out of the exercise. It just occured to me that some families might be doing some really cool math work at home regarding the election. If it can be put to good use and help voters make informed decisions, then why not?
Also feel free to leave in the comments below how you’re incorporating the mathematics of voting into your homeschooling studies.
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Hi Sarah, what a great idea! I hope some of your readers will take up the challenge. I look forward to reading some homework assignments.
I’ve been encouraged by the many stories people have shared, both publicly and privately. Vote swapping has created a spark of excitement and enthusiasm amongst many in the voting public that we haven’t seen before.
Yours for a strong democracy,
Gerry