2.0 Introduction
In the course of group deliberations, have you ever been asked to express a preference among a range of alternatives? How did that look? Perhaps you were asked to raise a hand by a meeting chair asking for “all those in favour…” Maybe you’ve been asked by a coworker to select a preferred meeting time using a Doodle poll or Survey Monkey. Maybe you choose a team captain by writing someone’s name on a piece of paper. All of these represent completing a ballot, and ballots are the physical tools we use to cast votes.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
- Recall how ballots have evolved over time.
- Describe the different features of a ballot.
- Explain how ballot design decisions can confuse voters.
Things we need to know
In this chapter, you can expect to encounter the following terms/concepts.
- Viva voce
- Australian Ballot
- Ranked Choice Ballot
- Overvote
- Undervote
- Spoiled Ballot
- Butterfly Ballot
