How voting rules impact legitimacy

Carina I. Hausladen (), Regula Hänggli Fricker, Dirk Helbing, Renato Kunz, Junling Wang and Evangelos Pournaras
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Carina I. Hausladen: ETH Zurich
Regula Hänggli Fricker: University of Fribourg
Dirk Helbing: ETH Zurich
Renato Kunz: ETH Zurich
Junling Wang: ETH Zurich
Evangelos Pournaras: University of Leeds

Palgrave Communications, 2024, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Collective action is essential for addressing the grand challenges of our time. However, for such action to be successful, decision-making processes must be perceived as legitimate. In this study, we investigate the legitimacy of different voting methods. Using a pre-registered human subject experiment, 120 participants cast their votes using four voting methods: majority voting, combined approval voting, range voting, and the modified Borda count. These methods represent a range of preference elicitation designs, from low to high complexity and flexibility. Furthermore, we developed a legitimacy scale upon which the participants rate the voting methods. The experiment was conducted in a non-political setting (voting on color preferences) and a political context (voting on COVID-19-related questions). Our findings suggest that the perceived legitimacy of a voting method is context-dependent. Specifically, preferential voting methods are seen as more legitimate than majority voting in a political decision-making situation, but only for individuals with well-defined preferences. Furthermore, preferential voting methods are more legitimate than majority voting in a highly polarized situation.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1057/s41599-024-03056-8

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