Votebyvote

Votebyvote is a voting approach in which participants cast individual votes on components of a policy proposal rather than a single up-or-down decision on the proposal as a whole. The aim is to allow voters to express preferences for specific provisions, amendments, or options within a measure.

In a votebyvote process, a bill or measure is broken into discrete items such as clauses, amendments, or policy alternatives. Voters review each item and submit a vote for each one, typically approving, rejecting, or abstaining. Outcomes are aggregated at the item level to determine the final status of the overall measure. Some designs apply a simple majority for each item, while others require a majority across items, or implement weighting schemes to reflect importance or trade-offs among items.

Applications have been explored in digital democracy platforms, participatory budgeting exercises, municipal referenda, and educational simulations. The approach is discussed in political science and human-computer interaction as a form of granular or deliberative democracy that can increase transparency and voter engagement.

Proponents cite benefits such as greater granularity, the ability to preserve desirable provisions while removing problematic ones, and more precise alignment between policy content and public preference. Critics note potential cognitive burden on voters, the risk of incoherent outcomes when items interact, increased administrative complexity, opportunities for strategic voting, and concerns about security, privacy, and equitable access to participating technology.

History and status: votebyvote is an emerging concept in academic literature and experimental practice, without a single standard model or broad state-wide adoption. See also participatory budgeting, deliberative democracy, referendums, and digital democracy.