Net Approval Voting

In my previous post I had advocated instant-runoff voting and a form of net approval rating as alternatives to our current voting system, which is plurality voting. I also mentioned run-off voting (the regular kind), which is what mlq3 advocates. Though the current system has the virtue of simplicity, it often results in the selection of a winner with no absolute majority in races where there are three or more candidates. It also does not address voter dislikes, just their preferences (and only first preferences at that). For example, in 2004 a voter might have preferred Lacson to Arroyo, and under no circumstances wanted FPJ in office. As the ballot provides only one space for the voter's first preference, the voter then could either vote 'honestly' and choose Lacson, or join in an attempt to game the system and vote Arroyo (to keep FPJ out, even if GMA's just second preference). Neither case fully captures the entirety of the voter's wishes. Nuance is lost.

The ideal system should be able to capture a voter's preferences (note plural) and also his dislikes (or negative preferences, if you will).