Mathematics shows up sometimes in the unlikeliest of places, such as voting. But how could voting for something use math? All we do is cast a vote and it is counted up? The math lies in creating different methods of voting.
Voting theory explores the different methods we can use to set up a voting system. The most popular form of voting we all know is the one mentioned before: where each voter casts one vote for their top choice, and the winner is the one with the most votes. This is known as Plurality. But there are many other ways of voting! For instance, one type of voting is called Approval Voting.
In Approval Voting, each voter votes one vote of approval for as many candidates as he or she chooses. The one with the most votes wins. This system works off the idea of having the outcome be something that all voters are willing to let happen.
Another form of voting is called "Vote for n," a modified version of Approval Voting. In this system, each voter is only allowed a certain amount of votes to allocate to candidates, and the most votes win. This forces the voter to put more thought into which candidates they especially support.
The last voting system we will address is called Borda Count. Borda Count is the most complex of these voting methods. Here, the voter assigns 1 point for their first choice, 2 points for their second choice, and 3 points for their third choice. So contrary to the other systems, this winner wins by the least amount of votes. This system most accurately reflects the varying preferences and rankings of each voter.
Each of these voting systems are capable of producing a different winner, even if the voters and what is being voting on stays constant. The different voting systems show how creativity can be used to skew the results and manipulate the numbers of voting to achieve a certain end. Thus, voting theory serves as an excellent example of how mathematics can be creative!
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