Chris,
quoted 3 lines First-round balloting averaged about 16% abstentions across the board. (The
>First-round balloting averaged about 16% abstentions across the board. (The
>final round averaged 22%.) Many people simply aren't interested in all the
>categories.quoted 11 lines The second round is anything but redundant. Without it, a majority of votes
>The second round is anything but redundant. Without it, a majority of votes
>are wasted on records with no chance of winning. In first-round balloting in
>the Drum & Bass Album of the Year category, 19 titles received one vote each.
>I think it would be ludicrous to declare a winner based on that, especially
>with the top vote-getter receiving only eight votes and the runner-up having
>seven. It's impossible to have a clear winner without splitting up the
>balloting, unless you go to a weighted-vote system (i.e. vote for your top
>five or ten or whatever, and a first-place vote is worth more than a
>second-place vote, etc.) I haven't been willing to run the poll this way,
>because under the present arrangement it's hard enough for people to follow
>the directions on the ballot.quoted 4 lines I think the two-round format also makes for a more inclusive poll. More
>I think the two-round format also makes for a more inclusive poll. More
>people are likely to vote when given nominees to choose from, rather than
>a blank ballot. The poll bears this out: 68 ballots in the first round
>this year, 113 in the second.quoted 3 lines If I do an all-time poll later this year, it will use a one-round,
>If I do an all-time poll later this year, it will use a one-round,
>weighted-vote system. Depending on how well or badly that goes, I might
>change over to such a system for the 1999 year-end poll.