Also see: [IRV History in Ann Arbor] . [Agenda Article] . [Center for Voting and Democracy]

Ballot Language Proposal, 
General Election, November 5, 1974

CHARTER AMENDMENT PROPOSAL

"Shall the City Charter be amended to provide that the Mayor
shall be elected by a majority of voters, by permitting each
voter to designate a first preference and subsequent preferences;
so that if no candidate receives a majority of first preferences,
then the candidate with the fewest such votes is eliminated and
secondary preferences of the voters for that candidate are
counted instead, the process being repeated until one candidate
receives a majority of valid votes?"

Yes: 17,405
No: 15715
Yes by a Majority of 1,690 votes

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CITY CHARTER AMENDMENT PETITION
PREFERENTIAL VOTING FOR MAYOR

To the City Clerk of Ann Arbor:

We, the undersigned registered and qualified voters of the City
of Ann Arbor, Michigan hereby petition that:

(1) The Charter for the City of Ann Arbor, Michigan be amended by
adding a second paragraph to Section 12 of Chapter 13; 

(2) The proposed amendment shall constitute one ballot question
to be submitted at the next regular election, and, as a ballot
question shall read as follows, the proposed amendment in full to
be posted in a conspicuous place in each polling place:

"Shall the City Charter be amended to provide that the Mayor
shall be elected by a majority of voters, by permitting each
voter to designate a first preference and subsequent preferences;
so that if no candidate receives a majority of first preferences,
then the candidate with the fewest such votes is eliminated and
secondary preferences of the voters for that candidate are
counted instead, the process being repeated until one candidate
receives a majority of valid votes?"

(3) The text of the proposed amendment shall read as follows: 

(b)

(1) In this paragraph

(A) "first preference" means the figure "1" standing alone,
"second preference" means the figure "2" standing alone in
succession to the figure "1", and so on; 

(B) "next available preference" means a second or subsequent
preference recorded in consecutive numerical order for a
continuing candidate, the preference next in order for candidates
already excluded being ignored; 

(C) "continuing candidate" means any candidate not excluded; 

(D) "transferable vote" means a vote on which no second or
subsequent preference is designated for a continuing candidate.  

(2) Each elector who votes for Mayor shall have one transferable vote.

(3)  An elector voting for Mayor

(A) shall designate a first preference for one of the candidates
for Mayor; and

(B) may in addition designate second and subsequent preferences
for other candidates for Mayor in order of preference. 

(4) A vote for Mayor shall be invalid and not counted 

(A) if a first preference for a candidate for Mayor is not
designated; or

(B) if the same preference for a candidate for Mayor is
designated for more than one such candidate; or

(C) if two or more preferences are designated for some one
candidate for Mayor; or

(D) if unmarked, or void for uncertainty. 

(5) The Board of Canvassers shall, after rejecting any votes for
Mayor that are invalid, arrange the valid votes for Mayor
according to the first preferences recorded for each candidate
for Mayor. The Board of Canvassers shall count said first
preferences for Mayor and credit each candidate with the number
of votes equal to such first preferences. 

(6) The Board of Canvassers shall then add together all valid
votes for Mayor and divide this number by two. The result plus
one, any fractional remainder discarded, shall be the number of
votes necessary to elect the Mayor. This number shall be
recomputed at the end of every transfer of votes, with
non-transferable votes discarded, and is herein called the
"majority".

(7) If at the end of any count or at the end of any transfer of
votes, the number of votes credited to any candidate for Mayor is
equal to or greater than the majority, such candidate shall be
declared Mayor, and no further count or transfer shall be
necessary. 

(8) If at the end of any count or at the end of any transfer of
votes, no candidate for Mayor has a majority, the Board of
Canvassers shall: 

(A) exclude from the count the candidate for Mayor credited with
the least number of votes; 

(B) subdivide the transferable votes according to the next
available preference; and 

(C) transfer each such subdivision to the candidate for Mayor for
whom the next available preference is designated. Such next
available preference shall then be treated in this and subsequent
counts as a first preference and a vote for the appropriate
continuing candidate. 

(9) During each transfer of votes a separate subdivision shall be
made of the non-transferable votes, such non-transferable votes
to be excluded from the calculation of the majority. 

(10) If, when a candidate is excluded, two or more candidates are
each credited with the same number of votes, the Board of
Canvassers shall determine by lot between such candidates which
candidate shall be excluded. 

(11) If, when only two candidates for Mayor remain, each is
credited with the same number of votes, the Board of Canvassers
shall determine by lot between such candidates which candidate
shall be elected, in accordance with the provisions of this
Chapter. 

(12) The Board of Canvassers shall record the number of votes
credited to each candidate for Mayor at the end of every count.
Such record shall also include

(A) the number of non-transferable votes excluded from the
calculation of the majority, and

(B) the number of votes necessary to form a majority to be 
elected Mayor. 

Green Party of Michigan: www.migreens.org

www.migreens.org/hvgreens/aapv-ord.htm
Last Updated on 9/18/2002
by Craig Harvey harvey@ic.net