pisteäänestys

Pisteäänestys, also known as preferential voting or ranked-choice voting in some contexts, is an electoral system where voters rank candidates in order of preference. Instead of casting a single vote for one candidate, voters number candidates on the ballot: 1 for their most preferred, 2 for their second most preferred, and so on.

When the votes are counted, if a candidate receives more than half of the first-preference votes, they are declared the winner. If no candidate achieves a majority, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is eliminated. The votes for the eliminated candidate are then redistributed to the voters' next-ranked choice. This process of elimination and redistribution continues until one candidate secures a majority of the remaining votes.

The primary goal of pisteäänestys is to elect a candidate who has broader support among the electorate, rather than one who may have won with only a plurality of votes in a traditional first-past-the-post system. This system aims to reduce the likelihood of "wasted" votes and encourage more moderate candidates to run, as they can appeal to a wider range of voters. It is used in various countries and for different types of elections, including some political contests and internal party elections.