Quorum — an abstention still counts toward turnout¶

Generated from quorum_demo_c3_b6.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: Anna

Scenario¶

A 10-member board (eligible_voters: 10). Six members submit a ballot — five score the candidates, and one turns in a BLANK ballot (an abstention). No explicit quorum is set, so the engine's default applies: a majority (>50%) of eligible voters must participate — i.e. at least 6 of 10.

The teaching point (ties quorum to abstention): the blank ballot is the SIXTH participant. A cast abstention is still participation, so it counts toward quorum — and here it is exactly what carries turnout from 5 (not enough) to 6 (quorum met). Drop the abstention and quorum would FAIL. The abstainer changed no candidate's score, but their presence made the election valid.

→ Concept: 07_Concepts/topics/quorum.md

Parameters (from the YAML)¶

eligible_voters: 10

Ballots¶

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

#	Anna	Ben	Cara
1	5	0	0
2	5	1	0
3	4	0	1
4	0	5	0
5	1	4	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).

Anna, Ben, Cara
5, 0, 0
5, 1, 0
4, 0, 1
0, 5, 0
1, 4, 0
-, -, -    # blank ballot: an abstention — counts toward quorum, scores no one

What the engine says¶

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

 Quorum: 6 of 10 eligible voters participated (60% turnout); requires more than 50% (>= 6). MET.

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

[STAR Voting]
 Tabulating 6 ballots. Note: 1 of 6 ballots is marked as an abstention.
Anna,Ben,Cara
   5,  0,   0
   5,  1,   0
   4,  0,   1
   0,  5,   0
   1,  4,   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.
   Anna          -- 15 -- First place
   Ben           -- 10 -- Second place
   Cara          --  1
 Anna and Ben advance.

[STAR Voting: Automatic Runoff Round]
 The candidate preferred in the most head-to-head matchups wins.
   Anna          -- 3 -- First place
   Ben           -- 2
   Equal Support -- 1
 Anna wins.
   Runoff math:
     6  ballots cast
   − 1  Equal Support (no preference between the two finalists)
     ─
     5  voters with a preference  (majority = 3)
           Anna 3 (60%)  ·  Ben 2 (40%)

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

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
               |   * Anna   |  * Ben    |    Cara   |
-----------------------------------------------------
      * Anna > |    ---     |3 - 1 - 2  |4 - 2 - 0  |
       * Ben > | 2 - 1 - 3  |   ---     |3 - 2 - 1  |
        Cara > | 0 - 2 - 4  |1 - 2 - 3  |   ---     |

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

[Condorcet Loser]
  Condorcet Loser: Cara — 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
Anna       2  1  0  0  1  1    1  |    15      2.5        3.0
Ben        1  1  0  0  1  2    1  |    10      1.7        2.0
Cara       0  0  0  0  1  4    1  |     1      0.2        0.2
  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/quorum_demo_c3_b6.yaml