Assignment Instructions

The student union has declared that they are willing to buy a vending machine to the entrance hall of the university main building. As there is no time nor resources to make a poll, the 5-member board of the student association has to make the decision between candy, soft drink, and coffee machine according to their own preferences. In the board

A. 2 members prefer coffee to soft drink to candy
B. 2 members prefer soft drink to coffee to candy
C. 1 member prefer candy to coffee to soft drink

In your group replicate the decision making situation the board is faced with and decide the type of the vending machine the student union is going to buy.

1) Allot the preferences
In your group allot the preferences A, B, and C according to the problem description above. Note, if you are more than five, there should be equal number of members in the preference groups A and B, and at least one member less in the group C.

2) Create an Opinions Online voting session
The group should select a session administrator that creates the voting session according to the instructions below.

• Copy the existing vending machine voting template at http://www.opinion.vote.hut.fi/servlet3/templates
  
• The template is precompleted. In the "Creating a new session" window you only have to do the following modifications:
  
  1. Enter the email address that will be used for session administration. Session file name, usernames, and passwords will be sent to that address.
  2. Enter the topic for the session. As the sessions are listed by the topic you should use a name that differs from the names of the existing session.
  3. Select "Playground" as a session folder.
  4. Give a file name for the session.
  5. You may also specify a web page for the voting.
  6. In the "Access control" section enter group members’ email addressess. In addition to the email address that is used for addministration the passwords are also sent to the members’ email accounts.
  7. Click the "Submit" button. The voting session is now open for the users.

3) Vote according to your preferences
The aim of this voting is to familiarise the users with the system and the voting situation. The results from the voting may be used later as a reference when analysing the results from the final voting.

• The usernames and passwords for the voting are sent automatically to the voters.
  
• It is assumed that voters do not know each other’s preferences. Each voter should vote according to her/his preferences.
  
• Coalitions are not allowed.
  
• Note, you shouldn't give the same ranking for any two alternatives. That is, only one alternative can be the most preferred one etc.
  
• After voting it will take a while until the results are updated.
  

4) Strategic voting
This is the final voting that will ultimately determine the vending machine that will be bought. In the voting the board members may “cheat", that is, to get better results they can give rankings that differ from their preference profiles. Furthermore, it is assumed that the voters are aware of each other’s preferences and they may form coalitions as well.

4.1 First create a copy of the exsisting voting session. (Session administrator)

• Sign in as an administrator to the current voting session at http://www.opinion.vote.hut.fi/admin.jhtml3.
• Select "Keep the old files" and click "Copy". (Be carefull, with other settings you may lose the results of the first voting!)
• Enter a new name for the voting session.
• Click "Submit". The voting is now open for the board members.

4.2 Consider carefully your strategy and vote.

• The usernames and passwords for the voting are sent automatically to the members by email.

5) Write an individual report of the voting assignment
Each group member should write an individual report of the voting assignment.
Download the report template from here.

The report should answer the following questions:

1. Which alternative is the winner when voters do not cheat? (Use different voting procedures; Borda, Condorcet, Plurality, Plurality with run-off).
   
2. What is the result when voters act strategically?
   
3. Can you observe coalitions?
   
4. If you believe that there are coalitions, what motives may the members have?
   
5. Suppose every preference profile, A, B, and C forms a coalition. What is the “optimal" strategy for each group if the preferences are known? Reason.
   
6. Is there any situation, even a hypothetical one, in which the candy machine supporters should give a ranking, that differs from their preferences? Reason. Tip: First suppose that only the group X is aware of the preferences of the other board members…