On the practical possibility of a ‘no show paradox’ under the single transferable vote

Abstract

In a recent paper Brams and Fishburn (1983) have demonstrated that the ‘single transferable vote’ system for a single member electoral district admits a ‘no show paradox’. The present work indicates that under the single transferable vote the probability of occurence of a no show paradox is very high in situations where the outcome under the single transferable vote differs from that under plurality. This considerably weakens the case for replacing the plurality system by the single transferable vote system. It is also shown that under the single transferable vote the occurrence of a ‘no show paradox’ is consistent with one-dimensional left-right voting behaviour.