
Who invented voting?
Like so much else in the modern world, voting was invented by the Classical World. The complex system of elections that we see today in America and other nations was first developed in Greece and Rome. However, voting in the Graeco-Roman World was often very different from today.
When was approval voting first used?
Research led Steven Brams and Peter Fishburn to formally define and promote the use of approval voting in 1977. Political scientists of the 20th century published many studies on the effects that the electoral systems have on voters' choices and political parties, and on political stability.
When was the video Voter first used in real elections?
"The Video Voter was first used in real elections in 1975, in Streamwood and Woodstock Illinois. Following these demonstrations, several Illinois counties purchased the system and used it between 1976 and 1980, approximately." Douglas W. Jones, PhD "A Brief Illustrated History of Voting," www.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/voting, 2003
When was the first lever voting machine made?
"The Myers Automatic Booth lever voting machine was first used in 1892 in Lockport, New York... Lever machines were on the cutting edge of technology, with more moving parts than almost anything else being made.
Who introduced right to vote in India?
Sixty-first Amendment of the Constitution of IndiaThe Constitution (Sixty-first Amendment) Act, 1989Bill published on13 December 1988Introduced byB. ShankaranandSummaryLowered the voting age from 21 years to 18 years14 more rows
When was voting invented?
The first recorded popular elections of officials to public office, by majority vote, where all citizens were eligible both to vote and to hold public office, date back to the Ephors of Sparta in 754 BC, under the mixed government of the Spartan Constitution.
Which country first gave right to vote?
New Zealand was the first self-governing country in the world in which all women had the right to vote in parliamentary elections; from 1893.
When was voting system was introduced in India?
For the purpose of first General Elections to the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas, the first delimitation order was issued by President, in consultation with Election Commission and with the approval of Parliament on August 13th, 1951.
Where did voting rights come from?
The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution grants full citizenship rights, including voting rights, to all men born or naturalized in the United States. The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution eliminates racial barriers to voting; however, many states continue practicing voter discrimination.
Who was the first woman to vote?
In 1756, Lydia Taft became the first legal woman voter in colonial America. This occurred under British rule in the Massachusetts Colony. In a New England town meeting in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, she voted on at least three occasions.
Who invented EVM?
The EVM was designed by two professors of IIT Bombay, A.G. Rao and Ravi Poovaiah. An EVM consists of two units, a control unit, and the balloting unit. The two units are joined by a five-meter cable.
Which law first introduced electoral system in India?
The Representation of the People Act (RPA) of 1951 provided the first set of rules for the conduct of elections to the Houses of Parliament and State Legislatures.
Who was the first Election Commission of India?
Sukumar Sen (2 January 1898 – 13 May 1963) was an Indian civil servant who was the first Chief Election Commissioner of India, serving from 21 March 1950 to 19 December 1958.
When was voting used in democracy?
Voting has been used as a feature of democracy since the 6th century BC, when democracy was introduced by the Athenian democracy. However, in Athenian democracy, voting was seen as the least democratic among methods used for selecting public officials, and was little used, because elections were believed to inherently favor the wealthy and well-known over average citizens. Viewed as more democratic were assemblies open to all citizens, and selection by lot, as well as rotation of office.
Who was the first person to use approval voting?
Research led Steven Brams and Peter Fishburn to formally define and promote the use of approval voting in 1977. Political scientists of the 20th century published many studies on the effects that the electoral systems have on voters' choices and political parties, and on political stability.
What is plurality voting?
In cases where there are multiple positions to be filled, most commonly in cases of multi-member constituencies, plurality voting is referred to as block voting, multiple non-transferable vote or plurality-at-large.
What is the study of electoral methods?
The study of formally defined electoral methods is called social choice theory or voting theory, and this study can take place within the field of political science, economics, or mathematics, and specifically within the subfields of game theory and mechanism design.
How many countries have compulsory voting?
A total of 21 countries have compulsory voting, although in some there is an upper age limit on enforcement of the law. Many countries also have the none of the above option on their ballot papers. In systems that use constituencies, apportionment or districting defines the area covered by each constituency.
How did game theory help to analyze electoral systems?
The use of game theory to analyze electoral systems led to discoveries about the effects of certain methods. Earlier developments such as Arrow's impossibility theorem had already shown the issues with Ranked voting systems. Research led Steven Brams and Peter Fishburn to formally define and promote the use of approval voting in 1977. Political scientists of the 20th century published many studies on the effects that the electoral systems have on voters' choices and political parties, and on political stability. A few scholars also studied which effects caused a nation to switch to a particular electoral system.
What are the rules of voting?
These rules govern all aspects of the voting process: when elections occur, who is allowed to vote, who can stand as a candidate, how ballots are marked and cast, how the ballots are counted, how votes translate into the election outcome, limits on campaign spending, and other factors that can affect the result.
Where was voting invented?
Like so much else in the modern world, voting was invented by the Classical World . The complex system of elections that we see today in America and other nations was first developed in Greece and Rome. However, voting in the Graeco-Roman World was often very different from today.
What were the origins of voting?
Tribal origins of voting. Many early tribal societies were democratic in that they elected their kings or leaders. Many even elected a council of elders. There is a long history of elections and democracy in so-called primitive societies. Many early Greek societies had a tradition of voting.
Why did Athens have lottery voting?
In Athens many offices were decided by lottery because over time the voting process was corrupted. Many other Greek states emulated the democracy of Greece and soon voting was very common. It even continued when the city-states came under the domination of the Macedonian dynasties.
Why didn't people vote in Rome?
However, most people could not vote due to rules on property. Rome developed a very complex voting system, and it was both a direct and an indirect form of democracy. They also were the first to introduce the secret ballot, now considered essential to free and fair elections.
Why did the senatorial elite manipulate the Roman elections?
The Senatorial elite was able to manipulate this to ensure that their interests were safeguarded. Roman voting often took place within tribes. The lower class, or plebians, could vote in certain assemblies and this gave them some say in the affairs of the state.
What was the impact of the Graeco-Roman world on the development of modern democracy?
During the Renaissance, the Graeco-Roman World was widely studied, and its systems of voting inspired many to establish more democratic forms of government. This was enormously influential in the development of modern democracies.
What was the Roman vote?
The Senate was an assembly of legislators and policymakers who were elected indirectly.
What is the voting method?
Voting is a method for a group, such as a meeting or an electorate, in order to make a collective decision or express an opinion usually following discussions, debates or election campaigns. Democracies elect holders of high office by voting. Residents of a place represented by an elected official are called "constituents", ...
How does voting work in a small organization?
Formally via ballot to elect others for example within a workplace, to elect members of political associations or to choose roles for others. Informally voting could occur as a spoken agreement or as a verbal gesture like a raised hand or electronically.
What is the anti voting campaign in South Africa?
In South Africa, there is a strong presence of anti-voting campaigns by poor citizens. They make the structural argument that no political party truly represents them. For instance, this resulted in the " No Land! No House! No Vote! " A campaign that becomes very prominent each time the country holds elections. The campaign is prominent among three of South Africa's largest social movements: the Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign, Abahlali baseMjondolo, and the Landless Peoples Movement .
What is ranked voting?
Ranked voting systems, such as those used in Australia and Ireland, use a ranked vote. In a voting system that uses a scored vote (or range vote ), the voter gives each alternative a number between one and ten (the upper and lower bounds may vary). See cardinal voting systems .
What is the difference between direct democracy and representative democracy?
In a representative democracy voting is the method by which the electorate appoints its representatives to government, and by which the elected representatives make decisions. In a direct democracy, voting is the method by which the electorate directly make decisions, turn bills into laws, etc.
What is negative voting?
Negative voting allows a vote that expresses disapproval of a candidate. For explanatory purposes, consider a hypothetical voting system that uses negative voting. In this system, one vote is allowed, with the choice of either for a candidate or against a candidate.
What is approval voting?
Approval voting uses such multiple votes. In a voting system that uses a ranked vote, the voter has to rank the alternatives in order of preference. For example, they might vote for Bob in the first place, then Emily, then Alice, then Daniel, and finally Charlie.
What is approval voting?
Approval voting is a single winner voting system used for multi-candidate elections. In this method each voter may vote for as many of the candidates as she wishes that is the voter votes for all candidates of whom the voter approves. In Approval voting no ranking is involved, so all the votes have equal weight.
When did Duncan Black introduce the manipulation of voting?
Duncan Black first introduced the manipulation of voting in 1958 in his book “Theory of Committee and Elections”. Condorcet, Borda and even many modern politicians believe that elections are logically imperfect. Voting system is directly involved with economics, political science and social science. So that if one has no proper knowledge of the ...
What is the median voter?
The median voter is 6 the person in the middle of the distribution on the single dimension and is a more accurate predictor of decision outcomes under simple majority voting system. Politicians believe that elections are logically imperfect.
What is the median voter theorem?
The median voter theorem is one of the most prominent results of formal political theory and economics, and is widely used to study interactions between them.
What is STV voting?
The single transferable vote (STV) is a system of preferential voting designed to minimize wasted votes. In STV, a constituency elects two or more representatives per electorate. As a result the constituency is proportionally larger than a single member constituency from each party.
Is the median voting model a pioneer?
Although the median voting model plays a pioneer role in modern democracy but it cannot solve all the problems of voting system, and the book deals where the median voter theorem fails.
When was the first voting machine invented?
Mary Bellis "The History of Voting Machines," inventors.about.com, Nov. 13, 2000. "The first use of mark-sense [optical scan] ballots was in 1962, in Kern City, California, using a mark-sense system developed by the Norden Division of United Aircraft and the City of Los Angeles.
Who invented the video voting machine?
McKay, Ziebold, and Kirby et al. developed a concept for an electronic voting machine, known as the Video Voter, for which a patent was issued on Feb. 19, 1974 ( US Patent 3,793,505 ).
When did video voting start in Illinois?
1975 - Streamwood and Woodstock, Illinois Use Video Voter System. "The Video Voter was first used in real elections in 1975 , in Streamwood and Woodstock Illinois. Following these demonstrations, several Illinois counties purchased the system and used it between 1976 and 1980, approximately.".
When was the lever machine invented?
1892 - Lever Machine First Used in Lockport, New York. "The Myers Automatic Booth lever voting machine was first used in 1892 in Lockport, New York... Lever machines were on the cutting edge of technology, with more moving parts than almost anything else being made.
Which state has the first uniform ballot?
The Australian state of Victoria becomes the first place to use uniform official ballots. This style of paper ballot, later called the Australian Secret Ballot, is printed at the government's expense, lists the names of all candidates and issues in a fixed order, and is counted by hand.
Who invented the punch card system?
Although this punchcard system ( US Patent 395,782 ) was not used for voting, the technology laid the foundation for the punchcard voting systems developed in the 1960's. Herman Hollerith, PhD U.S. Patent 395,782, Jan. 8, 1889.
What did the 18th century voters think?
First, they thought 18th-century voters lacked the resources to be fully informed about the candidates, especially in rural outposts. Second, they feared a headstrong “democratic mob” steering the country astray. And third, a populist president appealing directly to the people could command dangerous amounts of power.
Which states have passed laws to give all of their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the state's popular vote count
The assumption was that each elector’s vote would be counted. But over time, all but two states (Maine and Nebraska) passed laws to give all of their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the state’s popular vote count. Any semblance of elector independence has been fully wiped out.
What was the compromise based on?
Out of those drawn-out debates came a compromise based on the idea of electoral intermediaries. These intermediaries wouldn’t be picked by Congress or elected by the people. Instead, the states would each appoint independent “electors” who would cast the actual ballots for the presidency.
What is electoral college?
Electoral College: A System Born of Compromise. At the time of the Philadelphia convention, no other country in the world directly elected its chief executive, so the delegates were wading into uncharted territory. Further complicating the task was a deep-rooted distrust of executive power.
How many electoral votes did the first candidate get?
In modern elections, the first candidate to get 270 of the 538 total electoral votes wins the White House. The Electoral College was never intended to be the “perfect” system for picking the president, says George Edwards III, emeritus political science professor at Texas A&M University. “It wasn’t like the Founders said, ‘Hey, what a great idea! ...
When was the Constitution signed?
The signing of the Constitution of the United States at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. For starters, there were no political parties in 1787. The drafters of the Constitution assumed that electors would vote according to their individual discretion, not the dictates of a state or national party.
Who is the Senator who voted in 2008?
pinterest-pin-it. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY, left) shakes hands with Senator Bob Bennett (R-UT) after the electoral votes from the 2008 presidential elections were counted and certified in the House Chamber in the U.S. Capitol January 8, 2009. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.
What is single voting system?
Single voting system: In a single voting system, each voter can select one candidate, regardless of the number of open seats. The candidates with the greatest number of votes are elected (for example, if there are three open seats, the three candidates with the greatest number of votes will win the election).
What is a two round voting system?
For this reason, majority systems are sometimes referred to as two-round systems. Single-winner ranked-choice voting system: In a single-winner ranked-choice voting system, voters rank candidates by preference on their ballots. If a candidate wins a majority of first-preference votes, he or she is declared the winner.
How many states have a plurality vote?
All gubernatorial elections are, by nature of the office, single-winner elections. Of the 50 states, 45 determine the winners of gubernatorial elections via plurality vote. Three of the remaining five ( Louisiana, Georgia, and Mississippi) determine winners via majority vote. Maine and Alaska used ranked-choice voting.
What is electoral system?
The term electoral system can refer to the method by which elections are conducted (e.g., whether officials are elected in single-winner versus multi-winner systems) or the method by which votes are tallied to determine the outcome of an election (e.g., plurality systems, majority systems, ranked-choice voting systems, etc.).
How many states have a gubernatorial election?
In all 50 states, gubernatorial elections are conducted as single-winner contests. Of the 50 states, 45 determine winners in gubernatorial elections via plurality vote. Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi determine winners by majority vote. Maine and Alaska use ranked-choice voting.
How is the President elected?
Article II, Section 1, of the United States Constitution provides that the President of the United States is elected by the Electoral College via majority vote in a single-winner election . Of the 50 states, all but two award all of their presidential electors to the presidential candidate who wins a plurality of the vote in the state (Maine and Nebraska each award two of their electors to the candidate who wins a plurality of the statewide vote; the remaining electors are allocated to the winners of the plurality vote in the states' congressional districts).
What is the difference between a single winner and a multi winner election?
In a single-winner election, one candidate alone can be elected to the office in question. In a multi-winner election, by contrast, multiple candidates can be elected to the same office.
Who invented the voting machine?
The First Voting Machines. In the late 19th-century, Jacob H. Myers invented his lever-operated “Automatic Booth” voting machine, an engineering marvel that would come to dominate American elections from 1910 through 1980.
When did Kentucky start using voice voting?
Known as “ viva voce ” or voice voting, this conspicuous form of public voting was the law in most states through the early 19th century and Kentucky kept it up as late as 1891.
When were punch card voting machines invented?
Soon after the first punch card voting machines hit the market in the 1960s, so did a competing voting technology called optical scanning machines. Jones says these voting machines were directly inspired by the fill-in-the-bubble scannable forms used to automatically grade standardized tests.
What is the scantron of voting?
Voting is the cornerstone of American democracy, but the United States Constitution doesn’t say exactly how Americans should cast their ballots in elections. Article 1, Section 4 simply states that it’s up to each state to determine “The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections.”.
What was the turnout rate for early American elections?
Campaigning and carousing were allowed at the polling place, and a drunken carnival atmosphere often accompanied early American elections, which might explain why elections in the voice-voting era commanded turnout rates as high as 85 percent.
When were paper ballots invented?
The first paper ballots began appearing in the early 19th century, but they weren’t standardized or even printed by government elections officials. In the beginning, paper ballots were nothing more than scraps of paper upon which the voter scrawled his candidates' names and dropped into the ballot box.
When was the first paper ballot made?
The solution came from Australia, which pioneered the first standardized, government-printed paper ballot in 1858.
Overview
History
In ancient Greece and Italy, the institution of suffrage already existed in a rudimentary form at the outset of the historical period. In the early monarchies it was customary for the king to invite pronouncements of his people on matters in which it was prudent to secure its assent beforehand. In these assemblies the people recorded their opinion by clamouring (a method which survived in Sparta as late as the 4th century BCE), or by the clashing of spears on shields.
Types of electoral systems
Plurality voting is a system in which the candidate(s) with the highest number of votes wins, with no requirement to get a majority of votes. In cases where there is a single position to be filled, it is known as first-past-the-post; this is the second most common electoral system for national legislatures, with 58 countries using it to elect their legislatures, the vast majority of which are curr…
Rules and regulations
In addition to the specific method of electing candidates, electoral systems are also characterised by their wider rules and regulations, which are usually set out in a country's constitution or electoral law. Participatory rules determine candidate nomination and voter registration, in addition to the location of polling places and the availability of online voting, postal voting, and absentee voting. Other regula…
Comparison of electoral systems
Electoral systems can be compared by different means. Attitudes towards systems are highly influenced by the systems' impact on groups that one supports or opposes, which can make the objective comparison of voting systems difficult. There are several ways to address this problem:
One approach is to define criteria mathematically, such that any electoral system either passes or fails. This gives perfectly objective results, but their practical relevance is still arguable.
See also
• Comparison of electoral systems
• Election
• List of electoral systems by country
• Matrix vote
• Spoiler effect
External links
• ACE Electoral Knowledge Network
• The International IDEA Handbook of Electoral System Design IDEA
Overview
Voting is a method for a group, such as a meeting or an electorate, in order to make a collective decision or express an opinion usually following discussions, debates or election campaigns. Democracies elect holders of high office by voting. Residents of a place represented by an elected official are called "constituents", and those constituents who cast a ballot for their chosen candid…
Voting methods
The most common voting method uses paper ballots on which voters mark their preferences. This may involve marking their support for a candidate or party listed on the ballot, or a write-in, where they write out the name of their preferred candidate if it is not listed.
An alternative paper-based system known as ballot letters is used in Israel, wher…
In politics
In a democracy, a government is chosen by voting in an election: a way for an electorate to elect, i.e., choose, among several candidates for rule. However, more than likely, elections will be between two opposing parties. These two will be the most established and the most popular. For example, in the US the competition is between the Republicans and the Democrats. In an indirect de…
Meetings and gatherings
Whenever several people who do not all agree need to make some decision, voting is a very common way of reaching a decision peacefully. The right to vote is usually restricted to certain people. Members of a society or club, or shareholders of a company, but not outsiders, may elect its officers, or adopt or change its rules, in a similar way to the election of people to official positions. A panel of judges, either formal judicial authorities or judges of the competition, may …
Voting methods in deliberative assemblies
Deliberative assemblies—bodies that use parliamentary procedure to arrive at decisions—use several methods of voting on motions (formal proposal by a member or members of a deliberative assembly that the assembly takes certain action). The regular methods of voting in such bodies are a voice vote, a rising vote, and a show of hands. Additional forms of voting include a recorded vote and balloting. The assembly could decide on the voting method by adopting a motion on it. …
See also
• Cosmopolitan democracy
• Democratic mundialization
• Dollar voting
• Donuts
• Electoral fraud
External links
• A history of voting in the United States from the Smithsonian Institution.
• A New Nation Votes: American Elections Returns 1787-1825
• Can I Vote?—a nonpartisan US resource for registering to vote and finding your polling place from the National Association of Secretaries of State.