approval.vote // About Approval Voting
Approval Voting is a voting system where voters can select as many candidates as they approve of, and the candidate with the most votes wins. This simple change from traditional voting methods has profound implications for democracy.
How Approval Voting Works
In approval voting, each voter can vote for (approve of) any number of candidates. You can vote for just one candidate, or you can vote for multiple candidates if you approve of them. The candidate who receives the most approval votes wins the election.
This system encourages voters to express their true preferences rather than strategically voting for a "lesser evil" to avoid helping their least favorite candidate win.
Try Approval Voting
See how approval voting works compared to traditional voting:
Traditional Voting (FPTP)
Vote for exactly one candidate. The candidate with the most votes wins.
Your Vote:
Approval Voting
Vote for any number of candidates you approve of. The candidate with the most votes wins.
Your Vote:
Key Differences
| Aspect | Traditional Voting | Approval Voting |
|---|---|---|
| Voter Expression | Limited - only one choice | Flexible - approve any number |
| Strategic Voting | High - "lesser evil" voting common | Low - vote sincerely |
| Simplicity | Very simple | Very simple |
| Cost | Low | Low |
| Consensus Building | Encourages polarization | Encourages broad appeal |
Advantages of Approval Voting
- Simplicity: Easy to understand and implement
- Cost-effective: Works with existing voting equipment
- Reduces strategic voting: Voters can express true preferences
- Prevents vote splitting: Similar candidates don't hurt each other
- Encourages consensus: Candidates must appeal to broader coalitions
Academic Foundations
Approval voting has a rich history and is supported by a significant body of academic research. Here are some of the key papers that have shaped our understanding of this voting method:
- Brams, S. J., & Fishburn, P. C. (1978). Approval Voting. American Political Science Review, 72(3), 831–847.
This is considered the seminal paper that introduced and formalized the concept of approval voting.
- Brams, S. J., & Fishburn, P. C. (1983). Approval Voting. Birkhäuser.
A comprehensive book that expands on their original paper, providing a detailed analysis of the properties and potential effects of approval voting.
- Weber, R. J. (1995). Approval Voting. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 9(1), 39–49.
A paper that reviews the history and properties of approval voting, comparing it favorably to plurality and Borda count systems.
- Brams, S. J., & Fishburn, P. C. (2005). Going from theory to practice: the mixed success of approval voting. Social Choice and Welfare, 25(2-3), 457–474.
This paper discusses the practical applications and challenges of implementing approval voting in real-world scenarios.
- Fishburn, P. C., & Brams, S. J. (1981). Approval voting, Condorcet's principle, and runoff elections. Public Choice, 36(1), 89–114.
An article that explores the relationship between approval voting and the Condorcet criterion, arguing its superiority in certain respects to runoff elections.
- Ahn, D. S., & Oliveros, S. (2012). Approval voting and scoring rules with common values. Journal of Economic Theory, 147(2), 773-790.
This research delves into the efficiency of approval voting compared to other scoring rules in elections where voters have common, but privately known, values.
- Laslier, J. F., & Sanver, R. M. (Eds.). (2010). Handbook on Approval Voting. Springer.
A collection of essays from various authors that covers many facets of approval voting, from theoretical to practical considerations.
- Brams, S. J., & Kilgour, D. M. (2014). Satisfaction Approval Voting. In Voting Power and Procedures (pp. 323-346). Springer, Cham.
This work introduces a variant of approval voting that aims to maximize voter satisfaction.
Explore More Voting Systems
Learn about proportional representation with approval voting principles, or see how approval voting compares to ranked choice voting.