Järjestysäänestys

Järjestysäänestys, meaning "order voting" in English, is a voting system used in some organizations and elections where voters rank candidates in order of preference. Instead of selecting just one candidate, voters assign a numerical value to each candidate, indicating their first choice, second choice, and so on. The candidate with the highest overall ranking or the most first-place votes is declared the winner.

There are several variations of order voting systems, but a common method involves the distribution of surplus votes. If a candidate receives more than the number of votes needed to win, their excess votes are redistributed to the voters' next preferred choice. This process continues until a candidate achieves a majority or all votes are distributed.

Order voting aims to ensure that the winning candidate has broad support among the electorate, rather than just a plurality of first-place votes. It is often seen as a more democratic approach as it takes into account voters' secondary preferences, potentially preventing a candidate with strong opposition but a narrow base of support from winning. This system is employed in various contexts, from student government elections to political party primaries and some municipal elections in countries like Australia and Ireland. The complexity of the counting process can be a drawback, but proponents argue that the increased fairness and representative outcomes justify its use.