Abstentions — blank and abstaining ballots in STAR¶

Generated from abstentions.yaml — do not edit by hand. Regenerate: python STARVote_LH_tabulation_engine/tools_adam/scripts/build_yaml_pages.py.

Method: STAR (single winner) · 1 seat · Expected winner: Dog

Scenario¶

Five CAST ballots, only three of which can decide the runoff: a 5-5 Equal Support ballot and an all-zero ballot count as cast but express no preference between the finalists. Teaches the runoff denominator: Dog beats Cat 2-1 among voters WITH a preference, and the two-line runoff summary (show_runoff_percent) reconciles 5 cast = 3 decided + 2 Equal Support, so the percentages never look like votes went missing.

Ballots¶

The ballots as marked — the filled bubble is the score given, and the score is the number in its column:

#	Dog	Cat
1	5	0
2	4	0
3	0	5
4	5	5
5	0	0
6	-	-

The same ballots as the file records them:

Row 1 = candidate names; each later row is one voter's 0–5 scores (a N × prefix = N identical ballots).

Markers on these ballots: - blank · ~ race abstention · & candidate abstention · ? spoiled · % spoiled+reissued — all tabulate as 0 (reported honestly).

Dog,Cat
5,0 # Dog  — a clear preference (decides the runoff)
4,0 # Dog  — a clear preference (decides the runoff)
0,5 # Cat  — a clear preference (decides the runoff)
5,5 # Equal Support — a CAST ballot that rates both finalists the same
0,0 # all-zero — a CAST ballot that supports neither (an explicit zero)
-,- # blank — a true ABSTENTION: no score recorded for anyone

What the engine says¶

The count, step by step — the rounds and how the winner is reached:

--- STAR Voting Method (single winner) ---

[STAR Voting]
 Tabulating 6 ballots. Note: 1 of 6 ballots is marked as an abstention.
Dog,Cat
  5,  0
  4,  0
  0,  5
  5,  5
  0,  0
  -,  -
  ('-' = left blank / abstained; '0' = scored zero — both count as 0 stars.)

[STAR Voting: Scoring Round]
 The two highest-scoring candidates advance to the next round.
   Dog           -- 14 -- First place
   Cat           -- 10 -- Second place
 Dog and Cat advance.

[STAR Voting: Automatic Runoff Round]
 The candidate preferred in the most head-to-head matchups wins.
   Dog           -- 2 -- First place
   Cat           -- 1
   Equal Support -- 3
 Dog wins.
   Runoff math:
     6  ballots cast
   − 3  Equal Support (no preference between the two finalists)
     ─
     3  voters with a preference  (majority = 2)
           Dog 2 (67%)  ·  Cat 1 (33%)

[STAR Voting: Winner — STAR Voting Method (single winner)]
 Dog

Full audit — preference matrix, Condorcet, and score distribution¶

--- Runoff (Preference) Matrix ---
Head-to-head / pairwise comparison
Legend: For - Equal Support - Against
        * indicates Top 2 Finalist
               |   * Dog    |  * Cat    |
-----------------------------------------
       * Dog > |    ---     |2 - 3 - 1  |
       * Cat > | 1 - 3 - 2  |   ---     |

[Condorcet Winner]
  Condorcet Winner: Dog — matches the STAR winner

[Condorcet Loser]
  Condorcet Loser: Cat — loses every head-to-head matchup

[Score Distribution] (how many ballots gave each star rating)
                Score
Candidate  5  4  3  2  1  0  Abs  | Total  Avg all  Avg rated
Dog        2  1  0  0  0  2    1  |    14      2.3        2.8
Cat        2  0  0  0  0  3    1  |    10      1.7        2.0
  Avg all   = Total / all ballots — a blank counts as 0, so this is the Total the Scoring Round ranks on, per ballot.
  Avg rated = Total / the ballots that scored this candidate (Abs excluded) — support among voters who had an opinion.

Everything in one file: the _tabulated mirror (regenerated on every run; every analysis forced on).

Run it yourself:

python STARVote_LH_tabulation_engine/starvote_larry_hastings.py 01_STAR/02_Examples/cases/abstentions.yaml

Abstentions — blank and abstaining ballots in STAR¶

Scenario¶

Ballots¶

What the engine says¶

Full audit — preference matrix, Condorcet, and score distribution¶

See also¶