You don't understand the system. Surplus votes are distributed based on preferences, so order does matter because preferences will be different from one ballot to the next. Which ballots fill a candidate's quota determines which preferences don't get assigned.
The preferences on quota surplus votes are transferred at a fractional value, so every ballot is counted.
It didn't always used to be though - prior to computers, to establish the fractional vote transfers, a "sample" of surplus votes to a quote used to be randomly selected.
Comments
You don't understand the system. Surplus votes are distributed based on preferences, so order does matter because preferences will be different from one ballot to the next. Which ballots fill a candidate's quota determines which preferences don't get assigned.
The preferences on quota surplus votes are transferred at a fractional value, so every ballot is counted.
It didn't always used to be though - prior to computers, to establish the fractional vote transfers, a "sample" of surplus votes to a quote used to be randomly selected.
Ok, thanks for the correction then. My knowledge of the system was out of date (as is the article I checked it against).
But the fact almost no voter understands it remains an undemocratic feature.