Ballot (COMSOC)

Definition

Ballot ( COMSOC)

A ballot is the report submitted by one voter to a voting rule. In the complete-ranking model, voter $i$ submits

$$b_i={\hat{\succ }}_i\in \mathcal{L}(C),R=(b_1,\dots ,b_n),$$

where ${\hat{\succ }}_i$ is a reported ranking and $R$ is the submitted profile. Truthful voting reports the voter’s actual preferences; strategic voting may report something else.

The permitted format depends on the rule: a ballot may contain a ranking, one selected alternative, an approval set or scores. It is the submitted information, not necessarily a physical piece of paper or the voter’s true preference.