# Negative votes in caucus states

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-votes-in-caucus-states/729706>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [September 2, 2015, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-votes-in-caucus-states/729706 "2015-09-02T14:37:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2015, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-votes-in-caucus-states/729706/1 "2015-09-02T14:37:15Z")

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I had an idea that in a crowded field like this years Republican group going into Iowa that an experiment be tried. Each caucus voter would get one positive vote and one negative vote. (The votes would be tallied separately.)

I could see a candidate like Trump “winning” both contests. I could see a perverse “bragging right” for the candidate who got the least number of negative votes.

It would certainly be more instructive of people’s thoughts that one guy “winning” a contest without even breaking double digits.  
What do people think?

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**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-votes-in-caucus-states/729706/2 "2015-09-03T00:38:07Z")

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I don’t know what voting system the Iowa caucus uses, so I can’t compare.

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2015, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/negative-votes-in-caucus-states/729706/3 "2015-09-03T02:21:04Z")

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You could give everybody in the caucuses a gun. Each person gets to shoot someone who wants another candidate. Whoever is left at the end is the winner.

What? It’s got exactly the same chance of happening.