Electelect

Electelect is a term used in theoretical discussions of electoral systems and distributed consensus to denote a dual or recursive voting mechanism in which two electoral stages are interdependent. The word is formed by repeating the root “elect,” signaling a mirrored or self-referential process. The concept is not widely adopted as a real-world system but appears in thought experiments and algorithm design contexts.

Concept and structure: In a typical electelect model, two ballots are run either sequentially or in parallel. In a sequential variant, the outcome of the first ballot influences voting eligibility or weighting in the second, while in a parallel variant the two ballots are linked by a constraint such that acceptable outcomes must satisfy both ballots. The interdependence can produce a stabilized outcome against certain strategic moves, at the cost of increased complexity and potential vulnerability to new forms of manipulation.

Relationships and variations: Some theorists compare electelect to self-referential quorum systems, or to iterated voting where results from one stage become the rule-set for the next. Variants may introduce weighting, veto rights, or a ratification stage where the second ballot acts as a check on the first.

Critique and limitations: Critics argue that electelect can be opaque and difficult to operationalize in practice, and that the benefits in stability may be offset by reduced transparency and increased risk of paradoxes or deadlock. Because it is primarily a theoretical construct, it remains a niche topic within political science and distributed computing.

See also: Electoral system, Consensus algorithm, Iterated voting, Dual-stage elections, Veto players.