Ballot Length

Ballot length, the number of candidates voters can rank, significantly impacts election outcomes across various voting systems. Research focuses on analyzing how different ballot lengths affect the accuracy of different voting methods (e.g., Instant Runoff Voting, Schulze method) using both theoretical models and simulations of real-world election data. Studies reveal that shorter ballots can alter winning candidates, particularly in elections with many candidates or voters with diverse preferences, highlighting ballot length as a crucial design parameter influencing election fairness and the selection of the true winner. These findings have implications for election design and the development of more robust and transparent voting systems.