On March 30, the Catt Center and several academic departments partnered with Better Ballot Iowa to conduct a ranked-choice voting simulation. Approximately 50 individuals cast ballots for their favorite restaurant using the ranked-choice voting method.
Between vote count iterations, Matthew Wetstein, assistant professor of physics and ranked-choice voting advocate; Stephen Wilson, university professor of mathematics emeritus; and Alex Tuckness, professor of political science; discussed the nature of various voting models and their relative strengths and weaknesses.
The election ended with a tie between Carlos Quesadillas, a campus food-truck favorite, and Provisions Lot F, a bistro located in ISU’s Research Park. The student chapter of Better Ballot Iowa was recognized for its highest attendance and the Political Science Club was honored for having the highest number of votes cast.