An Experimental Examination of Approval Voting under Alternative Ballot Conditions

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Abstract
The idea of approval voting as an electoral reform has received generally favorable attention from scholars in recent years. There has, however, been very little opportunity to study it empirically under differing conditions. This article moves to fill this void with an examination of the relationship between approval voting and two other electoral conditions, the wording of the ballot instructions and the candidate list. The author finds that these conditions, especially the wording of the instructions, influence voter behavior under approval voting and suggests that this may have an impact on the outcomes of contests conducted under approval voting. He concludes by cautioning against unconsidered applications of the reform.

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