Some version of instructions for pv say “Rank candidates in your personal order of preference” and “Stop ranking candidates when you reach the point where you would not wish any of the remaining candidates to be elected”. But that is essentially misleading. The intention is that voter stops ranking when they do not care which of the remaining candidates wins, not because they wish to vote against them all, and it is on that basis that the procedure for deciding the winner operates.
However, we could choose to accept the “would not wish” version. But in that case we would need to modify the evaluation algorithm (“the count”) accordingly.
– when no more preferences vote is aginst all remaining candidates and therefore for NOTA (None of the above”)
– so total vote is not reduced but stays unchanged with the anti votes accumulating under NOTA
– and winner needs >50% of all votes including NOTA
– if no winner then NOTA is not eliminated but lowest choice is
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Vote for “None Of The Above”. Ranked like any other choice. Might have enough support to win a seat. Could be just advisory: just note the voters’ feelings and go on to their next choices, if any. But possibly binding, in which case the count terminates, and the election is rerun, with all unelected candidates barred from standing.