The Mathematics of Voting and Elections

Thought I'd share some info about a Mathematics graduate class.
This is the text being used: www.amazon.com...

Since it's an election year (pres stuff), I thought it would be interesting. It just started this week so we haven't delved into it very deeply yet.

Some of the interesting things it goes into is the idea of Majority, Plurality, Borda Count, using May's theorem, and sequential pairwise voting, then it gets into calculating corruption and the electoral college with the winner take all rule and ends with other methods that were proposed back in the 1800's.

Should be an interesting experience. I'm wondering if anyone else has used the book in any way or researched anything similar.

I'm also taking part in an experimental election here at ATS that ends on Saturday where we've been campaigning and are now in the voting process where people flag a (summation) thread if they want to vote for us.

...if anyone is interested in that, my thread is in my signiture line and I'd definitely appreciate your vote!!! Just click on it!

Anyway.... hope to get some folks interested and I'll keep those interested updated as the summer semester (4 weeks) moves along. I'm looking forward to it! ...should be very interesting!

Hey, Purple Chiten!

In the interest of giving voters a viable option, a choice in the matter of elections, I thought I'd come in and throw my hat in this ring, with my thread linked to the banner in my signature, too!

You know, I went through 3 levels of calculus when I was studying physics, and never heard any of those terms you mention in your OP. I suppose they must be specific to the arena. Is there any chance you could provide some definitions or explanations for some of them?

reply to post by nenothtu


be happy to!! We just started this week and have only started chapter 1....shhhh I haven't read the entire assignment yet, it's not due till Tuesday...
Chapter one is about "Majority Rule" and starts with an election for the Mayor of "Stickeyville" LOL

They define Anonymity, Neutrality and Monotonicity
a voting system is anonymous if it treats all the voters equally
it's neutral if it treats all the candidates equally and monotone if it's impossible for a winning candidate to become a losing candidate by gaining votes but not losing any others... I'm still iffy on that definition, but hoping it'll make more sense as I read more...

Then they go into Majority rule and May's Theorem. May's Theorem is In a two-candidate election with an odd number of voters, majority rule is the only voting system that is anonymous, neutral and monotone and that avoids the possibility of ties.. it's a consequence of the quota system.
The quota system says there is some number, q, calld the qutos such that a candidate will be declared a winner of an electin if and only if he or she recieves at least q votes

(grad class in math, but not heavy in math skills...more of a logic type class but centered on elections and voting if that makes any sense)

That's about as far as I've read so far. Chapter 2 is "Perot, Nadaer, and other Inconveniences"..should be interesting!!!

reply to post by nenothtu


Never knew you did math and physics!! That's what I did too!! I teach HS and college level classes here at a University you've probably been to at some point in your life since you're in West Virginia!!

I read this thread and bust up laughing.

You guys will use any tactic to get another vote.

I WAS thinking that you were going to get heavy into the math. Oh no, not you!

On topic: I do realize there is a whole process to winning an election, but I'm not a politician. I didn't read the link. Maybe now I should?

reply to post by Druid42


I can't get heavy into the math - I don't know how to type the symbols for integrals and derivatives and stuff! I'm hoping to get a grip on the basic theory without all the equations!

The most I can manage of equations on a computer are algebraic expressions for programming.

The link was to Amazon, for the text he's using in his classes.

reply to post by PurpleChiten


seems to me that the only reason why there would even need to be such crazy math involved..

is to cover up fraud..

even the book you linked says

the book requires virtually no prior mathematical experience beyond basic arithmetic

so obviously the method of counting votes can be understood by the average person, yet needs to be veiled in a fog of (..excuse the phrase, I've been thinking about my G-pa lately)... Horse Feathers!

none of that fancy mathematical theories/prediction/addition lingo is needed for an honest one plus one election..but you sure do need it to calm the masses when they realize they've be scammed..

Historically there have been some shockers on election days.. and in my lifetime too..

and when inquiries are made the "predictions", or "exit polls", were to blame that lead people to falsely believe
things were headed in the right direction only to be stumped as to how on earth it could have went so oppositely..

enter the fancy "you don't understand" mathematical "details" to confuse, bewilder, and cover up Election fraud..

the first sentence says it all..

Have you ever wondered ... why elections often produce results that seem to be displeasing to many of the voters involved?

this quote is the only real truth..

"The people who cast the votes don't decide an election, the people who count the votes do." - Stalin

anyways.. thanks for the topic.. interesting terms you have thrown out there.. my favorite is.."calculating corruption".. I will star & flag and look forward to any deeper revelations or understandings you may uncover and share..

bye.. or should I say Bwaaacckk

In the second week of the class now... pretty interesting stuff.
We looked at the Bordo count this week and how they rank the college teams. I didn't realize they did it that way.

The people voting give a "preference list" and they get so many points for their rank on the list and that determines who the number 1 team is. I always wondered how they decided but didn't wonder enough to look into it.

It would be really interesting to see a Presidential election use that to better include the third party candidates...and forth and fifth and sixth...etc..

Pretty interesting stuff actually. I guess it's "math" because it focuses on the calculating and voting method used as opposed to any political aspects. Pretty cool stuff actually, just not "math heavy".

If you want to get deep in the mathematics, Graph Theory is pretty darn interesting!! Once you get past the basic terminology and symbols, it's very interesting!