Poll: Vote on the Oscars Like an Academy Member

There aren't many opportunities to act like Matt Damon or Julia Roberts. But this month, they and their fellow Hollywood stars have been voting for the Best Picture Oscar with instant runoff voting (IRV) -- and you can too at FairVote's OscarVotes123.com and below. So far, The King's Speech is in the lead.

FairVote has created OscarVotes123.com to explain IRV (also called "preferential voting," "ranked choice voting" and "the alternative vote") and address questions about the system. Readers also might enjoy a fascinating analysis of the voting system by FiveThirtyEight's Nate Silver. And not to bias your Oscar vote, but Colin Firth and Helena Bonham-Carter, stars of The King's Speech, this week joined the campaign backing a national referendum this year to adopt the system for all future elections to the British House of Commons.

Instant runoff voting has real-world applications in the political world as well as a means to accommodate increased voter choice and uphold majority rule. It simulates a "same day runoff," essentially, between the two strongest candidates, with the winner being the one who is ranked ahead of the other on more ballots. Used for decades to elect top offices in Australia (see a fun Aussie video about it here), Ireland and many private organizations, IRV has surged in use around the world in the past decade -- including at least one in an American city every November since 2004, including in Oakland (CA), Minneapolis (MN), San Francisco (CA), Memphis (TN) and Portland (ME). That support is grounded in voters' growing dissatisfaction with choices being limited to two and, in the words of a recent report by an influential international think tank, a plurality voting system that fails as "the worst of both possible worlds."

Now it's your turn. I hope you've cast your Oscar vote and tell your friends! The live, updated results are here.

 

Follow Rob Richie on Twitter: www.twitter.com/FairVote

Comments

[jAtkeison]

10:48 PM on 02/16/2011

What a great way to introduce IRV! It is too bad that established politicians in some localities choose to screw it up, but that does not make it a bad thing!

[danew13]

07:16 PM on 02/16/2011

These aren’t awards given by critics or even the public. The Academy is made of film industry actors, executives and technicians. They first are supposed to see the films and performances in contention and then vote on them....friends or studios can block vote, actors and producers can lobby academy members with all manner of gifts. We, the public, have to depend upon the honor of the academy members. But, even the nomination process is flawed when so many superior films appear in a particular year. Only five spots can be allocated for all awards except the best picture, This brings up the even more curious case of this year’s Best Supporting Actress Award…. One of the nominees is Hailee Steinfeld, the 13-year-old star of True Grit. and the main player in the film. Yet, because all the leading role nominations were taken, she was demoted to a best supporting actress, which is a good indicator she may win…but in the wrong category.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, won rave reviews and big audiences all over the world (it was well dubbed into English). The movie was so successful Sony bought the rights for a major Hollywood cover version, directed by David Fincher, which is due out next December. However, the Swedish film and its star Noomie Rapace was ignored by most US awards competitions. Do you see why? If Fincher’s film is as good as the original, look for the nominations to appear next winter.