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Crowded field, rung 5 — 5 candidates, 65 voters, counted by STAR

Bucket — IRV_DIFFERS_ARTIFACT: RCV-IRV differs — tie-break artifact

Generated by STARVote_LH_tabulation_engine/tools_adam/scripts/build_divergence_index.py — rebuilt from the election file; do not hand-edit.

What happens

On these ballots RCV-IRV reports Elsa rather than STAR's Diego, but this is an artifact of score→rank conversion, not a robust method difference: 23 of 65 ballots have tied non-zero scores, so their ranks are set by an arbitrary candidate-priority order; the RCV-IRV winner flips when that priority order is reversed. Ranked Robin and the Condorcet (pairwise) winner both agree with STAR (Diego). Do not use this case to criticize RCV-IRV — the disagreement is a coin-flip created by equal scores and would vanish under a different (equally arbitrary) tie-break.

Winners by method

Method Winner
STAR Diego
RCV-IRV Elsa
Ranked Robin (RCV-RR) Diego
Approval Diego
Range / Score Diego
Condorcet Diego

Flags: 23 tied-score ballot(s); IRV winner flips under reversed priority (fragile tie)

Source election: method_comparisons/crowded_field/cases/crowded_field_c5_star.yaml · STAR tabulated mirror: crowded_field_c5_star_tabulated.txt

5 candidates, 65 ballots.

The ballots

Each row is a group of identical score ballots (0 = no support, 5 = max).

Count Ana Bruno Diego Elsa Greta
6 5 4 3 2 0
10 5 5 3 2 0
13 3 5 5 3 0
9 0 2 5 4 0
12 0 2 4 5 3
8 0 1 3 4 5
7 0 1 2 3 5

STAR result (official)

Scoring round (sum of scores): Diego 244, Elsa 220, Bruno 196, Ana 119, Greta 111

Finalists (top two): Diego and Elsa

Automatic runoff: Diego 38 vs Elsa 27

STAR winner: Diego

Full LH STAR engine report:

--- Runoff (Preference) Matrix ---
Head-to-head / pairwise comparison
Legend: For - Equal Support - Against
        * indicates Top 2 Finalist
                 |   * Diego    |   * Elsa    |
-----------------------------------------------
       * Diego > |     ---      |38 -  0 - 27 |
        * Elsa > | 27 -  0 - 38 |    ---      |

[Divergence from STAR]
  STAR                   = Diego
  Choose-One (Plurality) = Ana   (differs from STAR)
  RCV-IRV                = Elsa   (differs from STAR)
  Note: 23 of 65 ballots (35%) had equal non-zero scores, so their ranks
        were decided by candidate priority order. The RCV-IRV result may be
        an artifact of score-to-rank tie-breaking rather than a deep
        difference.
  Note: Ranked Robin (RCV-RR) agrees with STAR, so RCV-IRV is the lone
        outlier — the classic center-squeeze signature.

--- STAR Voting Method (single winner) ---
 Tabulating 65 ballots.
Count × Ana,Bruno,Diego,Elsa,Greta
   13 ×   3,    5,    5,   3,    0
   12 ×   0,    2,    4,   5,    3
   10 ×   5,    5,    3,   2,    0
    9 ×   0,    2,    5,   4,    0
    8 ×   0,    1,    3,   4,    5
    7 ×   0,    1,    2,   3,    5
    6 ×   5,    4,    3,   2,    0

[Score Distribution] (how many ballots gave each star rating)
                   Score
Candidate   5   4   3   2   1   0  | Total   Avg
Ana        16   0  13   0   0  36  |   119   1.8
Bruno      23   6   0  21  15   0  |   196   3.0
Diego      22  12  24   7   0   0  |   244   3.8
Elsa       12  17  20  16   0   0  |   220   3.4
Greta      15   0  12   0   0  38  |   111   1.7

Scoring Round
 The two highest-scoring candidates advance to the next round.
   Diego         -- 244 -- First place
   Elsa          -- 220 -- Second place
   Bruno         -- 196
   Ana           -- 119
   Greta         -- 111
 Diego and Elsa advance.

Automatic Runoff Round
 The candidate preferred in the most head-to-head matchups wins.
   Diego         -- 38 -- First place
   Elsa          -- 27
   Equal Support --  0
 Diego wins.
   Voters with a preference: 65 of 65 (no Equal Support).
   Diego 38 (58%) vs Elsa 27 (42%); majority = 33.

Winner — STAR Voting Method (single winner)
 Diego

RCV-IRV — round by round

⚠️ This election has a fragile IRV tie (equal scores force an arbitrary tie-break). The round table below is only one realization; a different tie-break can change the winner. See the flag above.

--- RCV / Instant-Runoff Voting (single winner) ---
 Tabulating 65 ballots (converted from score ballots; 0 = unranked, equal scores broken by candidate priority).

Ballots:
   the ranking RCV-IRV reads (0 = unranked, equal scores broken by priority);
   the source score ballot follows in () per column: Ana, Bruno, Diego, Elsa, Greta
     6 ×   Ana > Bruno > Diego > Elsa      (5, 4, 3, 2, 0)
    10 ×   Ana > Bruno > Diego > Elsa      (5, 5, 3, 2, 0)
    13 ×   Bruno > Diego > Ana > Elsa      (3, 5, 5, 3, 0)
     9 ×   Diego > Elsa > Bruno      (0, 2, 5, 4, 0)
    12 ×   Elsa > Diego > Greta > Bruno      (0, 2, 4, 5, 3)
     8 ×   Greta > Elsa > Diego > Bruno      (0, 1, 3, 4, 5)
     7 ×   Greta > Elsa > Diego > Bruno      (0, 1, 2, 3, 5)

ROUND 1
Candidate      Votes  Status
-----------  -------  --------
Ana               16  Hopeful
Greta             15  Hopeful
Bruno             13  Hopeful
Elsa              12  Hopeful
Diego              9  Rejected

ROUND 2
Candidate      Votes  Status
-----------  -------  --------
Elsa              21  Hopeful
Ana               16  Hopeful
Greta             15  Hopeful
Bruno             13  Rejected
Diego              0  Rejected

ROUND 3
Candidate      Votes  Status
-----------  -------  --------
Ana               29  Hopeful
Elsa              21  Hopeful
Greta             15  Rejected
Bruno              0  Rejected
Diego              0  Rejected

FINAL RESULT
Candidate      Votes  Status
-----------  -------  --------
Elsa              36  Elected
Ana               29  Rejected
Greta              0  Rejected
Bruno              0  Rejected
Diego              0  Rejected


Winner(s) — RCV / Instant-Runoff Voting (single winner)
  Elsa

--- Smith Set (the generalized Condorcet winner) ---
The smallest group whose every member beats every candidate outside it —
the honest answer to "who is even in contention?".
   Smith set (1 of 5): Diego
   Outside (4):        Ana, Bruno, Elsa, Greta
   One member ⇒ Diego is the Condorcet winner, beating every rival head-to-head.
   RCV-IRV winner Elsa is OUTSIDE the Smith set. ✗
      Every member of the set (Diego) beats Elsa head-to-head, yet
      RCV-IRV elected Elsa anyway. RCV-IRV is not Smith-efficient (nor
      Condorcet-efficient) — this is the shape a center squeeze leaves behind.
   More: 07_Concepts/topics/smith_set.md

NOTE: a generated cross-method view of the STAR ballots, for comparison only — not the official STAR result.

Ranked Robin (RCV-RR) — every pair, head-to-head

--- Ranked Robin (RCV-RR / Copeland) Method (single winner) ---
 Tabulating 65 ballots (score ballots).

Ballots:
   the ranking Ranked Robin reads ("=" = tied); source scores follow in () per column: Ana, Bruno, Diego, Elsa, Greta
     6 × Ana > Bruno > Diego > Elsa > Greta      (5, 4, 3, 2, 0)
    10 × Ana=Bruno > Diego > Elsa > Greta      (5, 5, 3, 2, 0)
    13 × Bruno=Diego > Ana=Elsa > Greta      (3, 5, 5, 3, 0)
     9 × Diego > Elsa > Bruno > Ana=Greta      (0, 2, 5, 4, 0)
    12 × Elsa > Diego > Greta > Bruno > Ana      (0, 2, 4, 5, 3)
     8 × Greta > Elsa > Diego > Bruno > Ana      (0, 1, 3, 4, 5)
     7 × Greta > Elsa > Diego > Bruno > Ana      (0, 1, 2, 3, 5)

Round-Robin — every pair, head-to-head (For – Against):
   Bruno  beats Ana     49 –  6
   Diego  beats Ana     49 – 16
   Elsa   beats Ana     36 – 16
   Ana    beats Greta   29 – 27
   Diego  beats Bruno   36 – 16
   Elsa   beats Bruno   36 – 29
   Bruno  beats Greta   38 – 27
   Diego  beats Elsa    38 – 27
   Diego  beats Greta   50 – 15
   Elsa   beats Greta   50 – 15

--- Pairwise (Round-Robin) Matrix ---
Head-to-head / pairwise comparison — the Ranked Robin tally
Legend: For - Equal Support - Against   (row vs column)
          |     Ana      |   Bruno     |   Diego     |    Elsa     |   Greta     |
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Ana > |     ---      | 6 - 10 - 49 |16 -  0 - 49 |16 - 13 - 36 |29 -  9 - 27 |
  Bruno > | 49 - 10 -  6 |    ---      |16 - 13 - 36 |29 -  0 - 36 |38 -  0 - 27 |
  Diego > | 49 -  0 - 16 |36 - 13 - 16 |    ---      |38 -  0 - 27 |50 -  0 - 15 |
   Elsa > | 36 - 13 - 16 |36 -  0 - 29 |27 -  0 - 38 |    ---      |50 -  0 - 15 |
  Greta > | 27 -  9 - 29 |27 -  0 - 38 |15 -  0 - 50 |15 -  0 - 50 |    ---      |

Win–loss record — Copeland score = wins + ½·ties (highest score wins; ties broken by total margin, then lot order):
    #  Candidate  W–L–T  Copeland  Margin  Beats
    1  Diego      4–0–0         4     +99  Elsa, Bruno, Ana, Greta
    2  Elsa       3–1–0         3     +51  Bruno, Ana, Greta
    3  Bruno      2–2–0         2     +27  Ana, Greta
    4  Ana        1–3–0         1     -94  Greta
    5  Greta      0–4–0         0     -83  —

Winner — Ranked Robin (RCV-RR): Diego
   beats every opponent head-to-head — the Condorcet winner.

--- Smith Set (the generalized Condorcet winner) ---
The smallest group whose every member beats every candidate outside it —
the honest answer to "who is even in contention?".
   Smith set (1 of 5): Diego
   Outside (4):        Ana, Bruno, Elsa, Greta
   One member ⇒ Diego is the Condorcet winner, beating every rival head-to-head.
   Ranked Robin (RCV-RR) winner Diego is INSIDE the Smith set. ✓
      Guaranteed: Ranked Robin (Copeland) is Smith-efficient — every member of
      the set outscores every outsider, so the top of the win–loss table is
      always inside the set, however the tie among them is then broken.
   More: 07_Concepts/topics/smith_set.md