Why voting feels TERRIBLE: A Space Fabric Odyssey | Ranked Choice | STAR Voting | Alternative Voting

This dance troupe has an important decision to make, but how they decide will make all the difference. Come along on their odyssey as they try out voting with Choose One Plurality, then Ranked Choice Voting, and then finally STAR Voting.

Comment below to let us know which voting method you think did the best job and why.

Stop-motion and videography by Annie Kallen
Produced and Directed by Annie Kallen
"Space Oddity" cover by the Neanderthals
"Space Oddity" by David Bowie

Chapters:
00:00 Meet the Wacky Wonders
00:25 Let's vote!
1:51 Choose One Voting
3:18 Ranked Choice Voting
4:44 STAR Voting
6:26 Let's Dance!

#StarVoting

[anniekallen]

Had fun making this video! Someday I will actually use my sewing room for sewing...

[PNWGardener]

This is the first explanation of the difference between rank choice voting and star voting that I actually understand! Excellent video! And adorable!

[SassInYourClass]

This may be the best video showing the difference among these systems!

[johnway]

Clever starter explanation video, beautifully executed. It will be a great link to share whenever someone has questions. Hopefully there will be the time and budget to get some sequels that are deeper in the weeds for all the "Yah-Buts" that we see crop up in debates. Hopefully you have all the performers on rock solid contracts, wouldn't want one of them to use this new found fame and leave you for a music video gig. Thanks for the great work.

[sara_wolk]

Love it! Brilliant!! This is exactly the video I've been needing when I want share something fun that illustrates the differences between RCV and STAR Voting. This really does show how RCV ignores some voter's rankings, wastes votes that could have made a difference, doesn't necessarily count people's next choices even if their favorite can't win, and generally over promises and under-delivers.

One thing I hadn't really put together before now is how STAR Voting not only does a good job of ensuring that people get a winner they love, it also does a great job of preventing polarizing candidates who are the last choice of tons of voters from winning.

[ericabruskin]

This is awesome! Thanks for such a great visualization!

[fanfywriter]

It is actually really good that it shows off how an issue that everyone started off agreeing on was made into something polarizing by the process itself. It is easy to see then how people would become bitter against the other side, and the goal would move away from the issue at hand to just hating the other side. It displays polarization in action. I wonder if there would be a way to emphasize that point even more?

[nphony]

Clearly the other systems that Equal Vote Coalition supports also would choose the purple-space fabric. Approval would show everyone approving purple-space fabric. Ranked Robin would also work. Like STAR (and unlike RCV or choose-one), all the systems that honor equal-voting count everyone's votes and avoid vote-splitting.

[vegan-food-is-salad]

This does such a good job visualizing what’s happening with each system, and calling out how RCV still enables the spoiler effect!

[IanCunningham]

Great video! Simple and easy to understand

[fanfywriter]

I don't know if I have commented before, but awesome video! I have used it multiple times already!

[ericab]

Great explanation! I've long thought that Ranked Choice voting and Star Choice voting were equally viable. I never realized that RCV had that particular drawback until watching this . Thanks for the excellent information--and in such a cute scenario, too! 😃

[rendymonyab]

Hurrah it all worked out for the stuffies.

But does anyone else think they should take it upon themselves to remove their tags? Why are they labeling themselves that way :O

[jonathanvilario]

There needs to be more attention given to Star voting! Its so underrated!

[Quizoid]

What a great explainer! STAR Voting is a great solution to a mathematical and sociological issue. Let’s all get behind it. I’m tired of this polarized culture.

[lynnmcconnell]

.... and the Oscar for best short documentary, most likely to democratize our democracy, goes to Annie Kallen and friends at the Equal Vote Coalition. congratulations !!!!

[masonduarte]

I like this video. It not only displays how star voting works but on second inspection, and it also shows strategies that voters can use (i.e.ranking the most popular candidates all from 0-5 and saving the unpopular ones for last). For example, if you were to add some green fabric to the ballot. Maybe one voter really likes it, but they know the top choices will likely be between the three other fabrics, so they rank everything the same, but give green five stars at the end. The other voters should do the same. This is the case even if you didn't really like or dislike any of the favorites, and you still have a preference but a weak one. If you rank them 0, 1, 5, the first time, that wouldn't change the second time even if green is your favorite now.

[dayaaron]

We use STAR in our everyday life practically. From restaurant reviews to product ratings, it has become a familiar sight when we are looking for quality. Why? Because it works. Even the math would agree. I’m frankly quite surprised it’s taken this long for the concept to reach the political voting system. Please make this happen.

[AdorableFruit]

This is a really amazing video. I hope something like this is made to explain how Proportional STAR works!

[Chewychaca]

Amazing because it's obvious from the beginning that everyone would like the purple space fabric since it's the synthesis of all 3 philosophies. What also became obvious for me in this video that the true best voting method would be one where people cast votes for values and then an independent person determine how much each option fits those values. This is prone to corruption tho and the STAR system is more objective. The real problem trying to map numerical votes to a true group preference which STAR is the best in, but I'm sure has some weaknesses/vulnerabilities somehow.