30
V
V
O
O
T
T
I
I
N
N
G
G
P
P
R
R
O
O
C
C
E
E
D
D
U
U
R
R
E
E
S
S
As discussed in further detail earlier, there are two voting procedures for the
model. The first is referred to as the staged plurality elimination (SPE) where at each
stage the candidate with the least votes is eliminated from the competition. The staged
plurality elimination design is a preferential-staged voting system where each individual
in the electorate votes for that offers the least disutility in multiple stages. At the end of
each stage the candidate with the fewest votes is deemed the least desirable and
eliminated from the competition. The second is a point-assignment system referred to in
this paper as the staged Borda system (SBS) where at each stage the candidate with the
fewest points is eliminated. Voting under SBS each voter rank orders the n candidates to
fill a single seat. Assuming each voter provides a complete ranking, each first place vote
is tallied as being worth n-1 points, each second place vote is tallied as being worth n -2
points, etc. The candidate with the fewest totaled points is then eliminated from the
competition.
To accomplish all of this a computer simulation is created to model the
candidates, individual utility, and participation. Thus, we consider an agent-based model
of electoral competition, in which voters determine their ideal candidate as a utility
function based on a candidates policy position, with the inclusion and exclusion of
valence issues
Convention