Wait, wait, wait...am I reading this data correctly? *only* Begich’s second choice votes were factored in, not Palin’s? So, theoretically, 100% of Palin’s second choice votes could have gone to Begich, it doesn’t matter, since he was “first” eliminated?
More people in total could have (possibly) voted for Begich under this system as first and second choice over the Democrat - indeed, possibly by a wide margin - but the second choice votes of Palin voters don’t count. This is indeed rigged...more of a garbage system than I had thought - some second choice votes count, but not others.
So TexasGurl is right on the money about how this played out and why. Some people’s second choice votes count more than others (actually some people’s second choice votes count not at all). I bet more, if not nearly all, of Palin’s voters cast votes for Begich as their second choice. If the way I am reading that document is correct.
It may be the only way to make this convoluted system workable at all, but it is absolute garbage. It is unfortunate Palin came in second since her second choice voters got no say in this as a result (and she’s as unpopular in the state as Joe Biden so it was unlikely she would be the second choice of others).
If I’m reading that document wrong please advise but that is what it looks like to me.
Yes, that’s how RCV works. The eliminated candidate’s votes get redistributed.
Palin’s do not.