Jan 27 2014
Bullet Voting: Voting for Only One Candidate
Do you want your vote to count more? You can weight your vote by voting for one candidate rather than the allowed number.
Example: You are allowed to vote for 3 candidates. However, if you vote for only one candidate, you have not divided your vote into 3 parts. Your favored candidate receives your total support.
Bullet voting has been popular for years and is totally legal.
“Bullet voting” is an unfortunate term since it sounds like an act of terror, but it isn’t. It’s completely normal and fair, and can be an effective way to express voter preference. Use of the single vote option when more options are available makes sense when you have a very strong preference for one candidate, especially one who is not a leading candidate.
Each race has its own particulars, but the most recent City Council race is an instructive example. There were three candidates for two positions, voters could vote for two candidates. Fujioka was the clear front runner; McBain was lined up with Fujioka; Rood was a clear alternative to the other two. Basically the race was between McBain and Rood for second place.
If a voter strongly preferred Rood, a single vote for him was the strongest expression of choice. If, for whatever reason, a voter voted for both Rood and McBain, they effectively negated their vote for Rood.
If only a few more people had voted for Rood alone, he would have won a seat.