Plural Voting

What is PV?

Plural Voting (PV) is a voting system that lets people express not just their choices but how strongly they feel. Each participant has a budget of “voice credits” to allocate across issues, but concentrating votes on one issue quickly becomes costly, so people must balance intensity with breadth.

What problem does it solve?

PV helps groups set priorities fairly. Unlike yes/no votes or simple rankings, it reveals the strength of preferences. Unlike surveys, it prevents people from exaggerating for free, because extra influence carries higher cost.

How does it work?

Voters allocate a budget of “voice credits” across issues; casting multiple votes on one issue costs credits at a quadratic rate (1 vote = 1 credit, 2 votes = 4 credits, 3 votes = 9 credits, etc.). This allows for strong expressions of views while preventing domination by a few loud voices.

How does this support more democratic outcomes?

• Captures preference intensity: Groups see not just what people want but how much they care.
• Protects minority viewpoints: Strong but small constituencies can be heard without overwhelming others.
• Reduces polarization: No one can cheaply dominate debate; consensus options rise to the top.

How has it been applied so far?

• Taiwan’s Presidential Hackathon (2019–Present) uses PV to help citizens choose their favorite teams and projects.
• Colorado State Legislature (2019–2023) used PV to help legislators internally prioritize spending bills.
• NYC District 9 (2023) used PV in a $1M participatory budgeting campaign, allowing certified residents to vote on and direct those funds to affordable housing development.
• Nashville Metro Council (2023) used PV to prioritize amendments to the city budget.
• Brazil’s Gramado and Joao Pessoa city councils (2019) used PV to help councillors internally rank their spending priorities, helping identify where there was broad support.

What kind of organizations, governments or contexts can benefit from the application of this tool?

• Local Governments & Communities: Cities, cooperatives, and other membership-based groups can use PV to improve their public decision-making.
• web3 & Decentralized Communities: Crypto communities, pop-up villages, and related groups can use PV to democratize governance decisions.
• Prosocial Media: Large-scale online networks embracing “prosocial media” can use PV to enhance democratic governance and community moderation.

What are the risks or costs?

• Unfamiliarity: PV may feel confusing or “tricky” without clear explanation.
• Cognitive load: Quadratic costs aren’t intuitive.
• Identity risk: The risk of duplicate voting requires verification.
• Integrity risk: The risk of “vote buying” requires privacy.

What resources are required to implement?

• Voting platform: A simple digital interface (mobile- or web-based) that can handle quadratic costs and present results clearly.
• Identity solution: Lightweight verification to ensure “one person, one account.” Depending on context, this can range from email/phone to government ID or community membership credentials.
• Facilitation and communication: Participants need orientation; explaining quadratic costs with examples or practice rounds is essential to avoid confusion or distrust.
• Administrative oversight: A trusted operator to set up the credit budgets, validate eligibility, and publish results transparently.

How can RxC support the application of this tool in a new context?

RadicalxChange can provide:

• Conceptual design: Tailoring the design and rules to fit your context and needs.
• Technical infrastructure: Open-source tools and integrations with existing platforms (e.g., participatory budgeting portals, community governance apps).
• Capacity-building: Trainings for facilitators, government staff, or community organizers to introduce PV effectively.
• Facilitation support: Using our expertise to help conduct experiments, evaluate outcomes, and build legitimacy for wider adoption.
• Research collaboration: Documenting results and insights for publication or policy use.

Are there opportunities for alignment with identify verification, soulbound tokens or other technologies?

Like any voting system, Plural Voting hinges on ensuring that participants are unique and eligible, so identity tools are crucial.

• Identity verification: Lightweight checks (email, phone, government ID) can prevent duplicate voting and ensure that participants are unique, eligible voters.
• Privacy-preserving identity: Zero-knowledge proofs and protocols like MACI (Minimal Anti-Collusion Infrastructure) can mitigate “vote buying.”
• Soulbound tokens (SBTs): Persistent, non-transferable digital markers of membership, expertise, or community affiliation can encode eligibility and help determine cluster matches (e.g., identify areas of support not just across individuals, but across groups).