What is Bullet voting?

Bullet voting, also known as single-shot voting and plump voting, is a voting tactic, usually in multiple-winner elections, where a voter is entitled to vote for more than one candidate, but instead votes for only one candidate.

A voter might do this either because it is easier than evaluating all the candidates, or as a form of tactical voting. This tactic can be used to maximize the chance that the voter's favourite candidate will be elected, while increasing the risk that other favoured candidates will lose. A group of voters using this tactic consistently has a better chance for one favourite candidate to be elected.

Election systems that satisfy the later-no-harm criterion discourage any value in bullet voting. These systems either do not ask for lower preferences or promise to ignore lower preferences unless all higher preferences are eliminated.

Some elections have tried to disallow bullet voting and require the casting of multiple votes, because it can empower minority voters. Minority groups can defeat this requirement if they are allowed to run as many candidates as seats being elected.