>There is no definition of democratic on Earth that says "When I mark
>someone #2 on my ballot, I do it because I want them to win, and I
>really want the #1 guy to lose."
But if there are, for instance, 5 candidates, then when I mark someone #2 on my ballot, it means I want them to win in preference to the candidate I mark #3. And I want the person I mark as #3 to win in preference to the candidate marked #4 and so on.
Why don't you explain to us numbskulls the circumstances in which marking someone #1 could reduce the chances of that candidate winning in the context of a single transferrable vote ballot count.
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas