Mayor Recalled, Re-elected in Same Vote by Plurality

[William Waugh]

Fall River, Massachusetts. One ballot asked, do you want to recall the mayor, and with whom do you want to replace him. The indicated decision from the first part was indeed to recall the mayor. The second part was vote-for-one. The incumbent mayor won a plurality. Opponents split vote. So he has to get up from his chair, because he is recalled, and he has to sit down again, because he is re-elected.

We have to use this case to help explain to the public why choose-one Plurality Voting produces nonsensical results and must be replaced with a consensus system.

Case compared to Brexit votes.

Reporter does not see the solution, nor the true cause of the apparent paradox. Merely says that democracy is complicated, and should not be treated as sacred.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/16/world/europe/brexit-referendums.html?action=click&module=News&pgtype=Homepage

Author's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Max_Fisher