Skip to content

Same winner, very different counts — STAR adds, IRV eliminates

Generated from count_simplicity_star_vs_irv.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: Carmen

Scenario

40 voters, five candidates. Carmen is the broad consensus — most voters' strong second choice — and she wins under BOTH methods. The point of this file isn't WHO wins; it's how much work the COUNT takes.

STAR: add each candidate's scores (one column sum you can do on a napkin), take the top two, hold one automatic runoff. Two transparent steps, summable from precinct totals.

RCV-IRV (run this same file through 06_Other/RCV_IRV/RCV_IRV_tabulation_engine/): no first-round majority, so it eliminates the lowest, transfers those ballots to their next choice, rechecks, and repeats — round after round — until someone clears half. To follow it you must track every transfer, and you need every ballot in one place. Same winner, far more count.

Deep dive: 07_Concepts/is_rcv_simple.md (the "simple — which half?" point).

Ballots

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

Count:Andre,Blake,Carmen,Dana,Evan
10:4,3,5,2,1   # Carmen base   (C > A > B > D > E)
9:5,3,4,2,1    # Andre first   (A > C > B > D > E)
8:3,5,4,2,1    # Blake first   (B > C > A > D > E)
7:3,2,4,5,1    # Dana first    (D > C > A > B > E)
6:3,2,4,1,5    # Evan first    (E > C > A > B > D)

What the engine says

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

[Divergence from STAR]
  STAR     = Carmen
  Approval = Andre   (differs from STAR)

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

[STAR Voting]
 Tabulating 40 ballots.
Count × Andre,Blake,Carmen,Dana,Evan
   10 ×     4,    3,     5,   2,   1
    9 ×     5,    3,     4,   2,   1
    8 ×     3,    5,     4,   2,   1
    7 ×     3,    2,     4,   5,   1
    6 ×     3,    2,     4,   1,   5

[STAR Voting: Scoring Round]
 The two highest-scoring candidates advance to the next round.
   Carmen        -- 170 -- First place
   Andre         -- 148 -- Second place
   Blake         -- 123
   Dana          --  95
   Evan          --  64
 Carmen and Andre advance.

[STAR Voting: Automatic Runoff Round]
 The candidate preferred in the most head-to-head matchups wins.
   Carmen        -- 31 -- First place
   Andre         --  9
   Equal Support --  0
 Carmen wins.
   Runoff math:
     40  ballots cast
   −  0  Equal Support (no preference between the two finalists)
     ──
     40  voters with a preference  (majority = 21)
           Carmen 31 (78%)  ·  Andre 9 (22%)

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

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
                 |   * Andre    |    Blake    |  * Carmen   |     Dana    |     Evan    |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       * Andre > |     ---      |32 -  0 -  8 | 9 -  0 - 31 |33 -  0 -  7 |34 -  0 -  6 |
         Blake > |  8 -  0 - 32 |    ---      | 8 -  0 - 32 |33 -  0 -  7 |34 -  0 -  6 |
      * Carmen > | 31 -  0 -  9 |32 -  0 -  8 |    ---      |33 -  0 -  7 |34 -  0 -  6 |
          Dana > |  7 -  0 - 33 | 7 -  0 - 33 | 7 -  0 - 33 |    ---      |34 -  0 -  6 |
          Evan > |  6 -  0 - 34 | 6 -  0 - 34 | 6 -  0 - 34 | 6 -  0 - 34 |    ---      |

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

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

[Score Distribution] (how many ballots gave each star rating)
                   Score
Candidate   5   4   3   2   1   0  | Total   Avg
Andre       9  10  21   0   0   0  |   148   3.7
Blake       8   0  19  13   0   0  |   123   3.1
Carmen     10  30   0   0   0   0  |   170   4.3
Dana        7   0   0  27   6   0  |    95   2.4
Evan        6   0   0   0  34   0  |    64   1.6

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 method_comparisons/_main/cases/count_simplicity_star_vs_irv.yaml

See also