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Strategic Voting Axioms for Multiwinner Elections

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  • Austin Lieberman
  • Matthew I. Jones

Abstract

We create a set of 6 axioms relating to strategic voting and study them on single transferable vote (STV), Meek STV, Bloc, Chamberlin-Courant, Monroe, and k-Borda. For Chamberlin-Courant, Monroe, and k-Borda, we implement ``optimistic'' and ``pessimistic'' models for handing incomplete ballots, thus turning each of the three into two separate voting rules. We determine which voting rules satisfy each axiom. We find that under Chamberlin-Courant and k-Borda, the optimistic models encourage burying, while the pessimistic models encourage truncation strategies, indicating that the handling of partial ballots has tremendous implications for strategic voting. We define an axiom called no skipped payment that differentiates similar rules, as Meek STV and Chamberlin-Courant satisfy it, while STV and Monroe fail. Each voting rule was found to fail favorite betrayal, revealing that none of them are completely immune to strategic voting. In general, STV variants are relatively resistant to strategic voting while Monroe is susceptible to a wide range of strategies.

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  • Austin Lieberman & Matthew I. Jones, 2026. "Strategic Voting Axioms for Multiwinner Elections," Papers 2609.37373, arXiv.org.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2609.37373
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chamberlin, John R. & Courant, Paul N., 1983. "Representative Deliberations and Representative Decisions: Proportional Representation and the Borda Rule," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 77(3), pages 718-733, September.
    2. Monroe, Burt L., 1995. "Fully Proportional Representation," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 89(4), pages 925-940, December.
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    4. Graham-Squire, Adam & Jones, Matthew I. & McCune, David, 2026. "New fairness criteria for truncated ballots in multi-winner ranked-choice elections," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
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    6. James Green-Armytage, 2014. "Strategic voting and nomination," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 42(1), pages 111-138, January.
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