Single and multiple winner systems

Currently, Vancouver uses plurality to elect one mayor and plurality at large to elect 10 councillors. In so much as I’d love to see a multiple-winner Condorcet method used to elect both sets, I understand that such algorithms are too difficult for most to follow in multiple winner scenarios. While I think STV is a reasonable compromise, I dislike how IRV ignores votes and misrepresents large demographics when electing a single representative.

Winners	Plurality	IRV/STV	Condorcet
Single	Trivial to implement, but horrible results	Simple to implement, but poor results	Understandable method with good results
Multiple	Simple to implement, but poor results	Understandable method with good results	Good results, but too complex for most to understand

It’s unreasonable to suggest that we should use one method for single winner elections (Condorcet for the mayor) and another for multiple winner elections (STV for the councillors); I think that idea just wouldn’t sell. That being said, maybe IRV/STV is a imperfect, but reasonable stepping stone.

I’m not fully convinced yet, but I think small increments towards fairer representation is more realistic than giant leaps towards awesome.