Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Food for thought.

In case you missed them, two examinations of last week’s primary election have appeared in the local blogosphere:

Primary Election Analysis, by Maury Goldberg (New Albany Today blog).

Democrat Council At-Large Candidates In Trouble This November?: Under votes and why they count, by Coop (New Albany 15A blog).

Maury asks, “The question in the 3rd City Council District is can Steve Price unite the Democrats?”

Or … perhaps more accurately stated, will the 3rd district’s approximate 2/3 majority voting in opposition to Price – as much as ¾ if Republican voters are counted in – unite against the accidental councilman in the fall?

Readers, your thoughts are appreciated. Post if you wish. Is a coffee klatsch merited?

(Not a coffey klatsch, mind you. Way too bitter for my taste, and anyway, the 1st district has its own dross to bear).

2 comments:

All4Word said...

I have to think that the undervoting in the at-large races is much easier to understand than coop's analysis portrays.

Anyone who voted for one or two candidates in the at-large race is counted as an undervote. In distinction to the undervote in District 5 for Benedetti (running unopposed), the at-large race involved some strategic voting.

There were stark choices to be made in the Democratic primary. And it is fair to say that at least a majority of the voters in that race voted for either one or two favorite candidates strategically.

That still doesn't explain Hollis!

If I want the first little pig to win, voting strategically means I will undervote, or leave my other two votes unmarked. Someone out there who dearly wanted Shirley Baird to win nomination, but voted for Hollis and Baird, is wishing they could take back that second vote for Hollis, and perhaps that third vote for Denhart, since they were running as a team.

Five people who wanted Shirley but also voted for Jimmy put Shirley on the sidelines for November.

That accounts for the undervote.

Iamhoosier said...

Nice, concise analysis. Basically what I was thinking but could not put the proper words in such good order.