The Adobe School District is hiring a vice principal and has interviewed four candidates: Alicia (A), Ben (B), Carmelia (C), and Diana (D). The hiring committee has indicated their preferences. Determine who is the winner using the plurality method. Then suppose that Diana drops out of the running before the vote is taken. Do the results you obtain violate the irrelevant alternatives criterion?
A) Yes
B) No

Question

The Adobe School District is hiring a vice principal and has interviewed four candidates: Alicia (A), Ben (B), Carmelia (C), and Diana (D). The hiring committee has indicated their preferences.  Determine who is the winner using the plurality method. Then suppose that Diana drops out of the running before the vote is taken. Do the results you obtain violate the irrelevant alternatives criterion? ​
A) Yes 
B) No

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Using the plurality method, we count the number of times each candidate was ranked first by the hiring committee. 
A: 1
B: 2
C: 1
D: 0 
Therefore, the winner is Ben (B) with two first place votes.

If Diana drops out before the vote is taken, only the remaining candidates A, B, and C can receive first place votes. The committee originally only ranked Diana in last place, so eliminating her does not change the first place votes for the remaining candidates. Thus, the result does not violate the irrelevant alternatives criterion.

The Adobe School District Is Hiring a Vice Principal and Has