Editing Approval voting (section)

== Use ==

=== Current electoral use ===
====Latvia====
The [[Saeima|Latvian parliament]] uses a modified version of approval voting within [[open list proportional representation]], in which voters can cast either positive (approval) votes, negative votes or neither for any number of candidates.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How do elections work in Latvia? |url=https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/how-do-elections-work-in-latvia/|access-date=28 July 2024 |website=Electoral Reform Society |language=en}}</ref>

====United States====
;Missouri
In November 2020, [[St. Louis, Missouri]], passed Proposition D with 70% voting to authorize a variant of approval ([[unified primary]]) for municipal offices.<ref name="St. Louis approves">{{cite web |last= |first= |date=November 4, 2020 |title=St. Louis Voters Approve Nonpartisan Elections |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/missouri/articles/2020-11-04/st-louis-voters-approve-nonpartisan-elections |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614075134/https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/missouri/articles/2020-11-04/st-louis-voters-approve-nonpartisan-elections |archive-date=June 14, 2021 |access-date=December 3, 2020 |work=U.S. News & World Report}}</ref> In 2021, the [[2021 St. Louis mayoral election|first mayoral election with approval voting]] saw Tishaura Jones and Cara Spencer move on to the general with 57% and 46% support. Lewis Reed and Andrew Jones were eliminated with 39% and 14% support, resulting in an average of 1.6 candidates supported by each voter in the 4 person race.<ref>{{cite news |last=Clancy |first=Sam |date=March 2, 2021 |title=Tishaura Jones, Cara Spencer advance to general election in race for St. Louis Mayor |url=https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/politics/elections/tishaura-jones-cara-spencer-st-louis-mayor-race/63-34335593-223a-431b-ac63-b17eb2495841 |work=KSDK |location=St. Louis, MO |access-date=May 22, 2024}}</ref>

;North Dakota
In 2018, [[Fargo, North Dakota]], passed a local ballot initiative adopting approval for the city's local elections, becoming the first United States city and jurisdiction to adopt approval.<ref name="Fargo approves">[https://ivn.us/2018/11/06/one-americas-famous-towns-becomes-first-nation-adopt-approval-voting/ One of America's Most Famous Towns Becomes First in the Nation to Adopt Approval Voting] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181107185459/https://ivn.us/2018/11/06/one-americas-famous-towns-becomes-first-nation-adopt-approval-voting/|date=November 7, 2018}}, accessed November 7, 2018</ref><ref name="Fargo votes">{{cite web |last=Moen |first=Mike |date=June 10, 2020 |title=Fargo Becomes First U.S. City to Try Approval Voting |url=https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2020-06-10/civic-engagement/fargo-becomes-first-u-s-city-to-try-approval-voting/a70495-1 |access-date=December 3, 2020 |work=Public News Service}}</ref> Previously in 2015, a Fargo city commissioner election had suffered from six-way [[Vote splitting|vote-splitting]], resulting in a candidate winning with an unconvincing 22% [[Plurality (voting)|plurality]] of the vote.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Piper|first=Kelsey|date=November 15, 2018|title=This city just approved a new election system never tried before in America|url=https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2018/11/15/18092206/midterm-elections-vote-fargo-approval-voting-ranked-choice|access-date=July 8, 2020|website=Vox|language=en}}</ref>

The first election was held June 9, 2020, selecting two city commissioners, from seven candidates on the ballot.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Amundson|first=Barry|date=June 9, 2020|title=Strand and Preston emerge as leaders in Fargo City Commission race|url=https://www.inforum.com/news/government-and-politics/6528646-Strand-and-Preston-emerge-as-leaders-in-Fargo-City-Commission-race|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610194537/https://www.inforum.com/news/government-and-politics/6528646-Strand-and-Preston-emerge-as-leaders-in-Fargo-City-Commission-race|archive-date=June 10, 2020|access-date=July 8, 2020|website=INFORUM|language=en}}</ref> Both winners received over 50% approval, with an average 2.3 approvals per ballot, and 62% of voters supported the change to approval in a poll.<ref>{{Cite web|date=June 17, 2020|title=Fargo's First Approval Voting Election: Results and Voter Experience|url=https://www.electionscience.org/commentary-analysis/fargos-first-approval-voting-election-results-and-voter-experience/|access-date=July 8, 2020|website=The Center for Election Science|language=en-US}}</ref> A poll by opponents of approval was conducted to test whether voters had in fact voted strategically according to the Burr dilemma.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Nagel|first=Jack H.|date=2007|title=The Burr Dilemma in Approval Voting|url=https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1111/j.1468-2508.2007.00493.x|journal=The Journal of Politics|language=en|volume=69|issue=1|pages=43–58|doi=10.1111/j.1468-2508.2007.00493.x|s2cid=154179804|issn=0022-3816|url-access=subscription}}</ref> They found that 30% of voters who [[Bullet voting|bullet voted]] did so for strategic reasons, while 57% did so because it was their sincere opinion.<ref>{{Cite web|last=RCV for Colorado|title=Approval Voting Case Study|url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/11_puAt_0JYw0NSL2ykqGz_bZfmic45AP/view?usp=sharing&usp=embed_facebook|url-status=live|access-date=March 4, 2021|website=Google Docs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211124095738/https://drive.google.com/file/d/11_puAt_0JYw0NSL2ykqGz_bZfmic45AP/view?usp=sharing&usp=embed_facebook |archive-date=November 24, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Guest opinion: Emma Donahue and Linda S. Templin: Ballot issue 2E just makes sense - Ranked Choice Voting for Colorado|url=https://rcvforcolorado.org/guest-opinion-emma-donahue-and-linda-s-templin-ballot-issue-2e-just-makes-sense/|url-status=live|access-date=March 4, 2021|website=RCV for Colorado|language=en-US|quote=Triton Polling called Fargo voters and found that a significant number had gamed that voting method by bullet voting, just like the experts said they would.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130073843/https://rcvforcolorado.org/guest-opinion-emma-donahue-and-linda-s-templin-ballot-issue-2e-just-makes-sense/ |archive-date=November 30, 2020 }}</ref> Fargo's second approval election took place in June 2022, for mayor and city commission. The incumbent mayor was re-elected from a field of 7 candidates, with an estimated 65% approval, with voters expressing 1.6 approvals per ballot, and the two commissioners were elected from a field of 15 candidates, with 3.1 approvals per ballot.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hamlin |first=Aaron |date=June 16, 2022 |title=Fargo's Second Approval Voting Election Runs Smoothly |url=https://electionscience.org/commentary-analysis/fargos-second-approval-voting-election-runs-smoothly/ |access-date=July 6, 2022 |website=The Center for Election Science |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2023, the North Dakota legislature passed a bill which intended to ban approval voting. The bill was vetoed by governor [[Doug Burgum]], citing the importance of "home rule" and allowing citizens control over their local government. The legislature attempted to overrule the veto but failed.<ref>{{cite news |last=Carvel |first=Tasha |date=April 19, 2023 |title=Fargo approval voting survives after Senate fails to override Burgum veto of ban |url=https://kfgo.com/2023/04/19/794980/ |work=The Mighty 790 KFGO |location=Fargo, ND |access-date=May 22, 2024}}</ref> In April 2025, Governor [[Kelly Armstrong]] signed a bill banning [[ranked-choice voting]] and approval voting in the state, ending the practice in Fargo.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dura |first1=Jack |title=North Dakota governor signs bill doing away with Fargo’s unusual voting system |url=https://apnews.com/article/fargo-north-dakota-legislature-voting-elections-8f85df3e17bf77fd7af41693569831ac |access-date=9 May 2025 |date=April 16, 2025 |work=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

=== Use by organizations ===
Approval has been used in privately administered nomination contests by the [[Independent Party of Oregon]] in 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2016. Oregon is a [[fusion voting]] state, and the party has cross-nominated legislators and statewide officeholders using this method; its 2016 presidential preference primary did not identify a potential nominee due to no candidate earning more than 32% support.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Peralta|first=Sal|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2016/06/following_tense_primary_indepe.html|title=Following tense primary, Independent Party plans presidential preference vote (OPINION)|date=June 17, 2016|work=[[The Oregonian]]|access-date=June 26, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Radnovich|first=Connor|url=https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/politics/2018/04/21/oregon-independent-party-governor-candidates-internal-conflict-highlighted/530248002/|title=Independent Party's internal conflict highlighted in Oregon governor race|date=April 21, 2018|work=Statesman Journal|access-date=June 26, 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fairvote.org/new_lessons_from_problems_with_approval_voting_in_practice|title=New Lessons from Problems with Approval Voting in Practice|last=Richie|first=Rob|date=December 14, 2016|work=FairVote}}</ref> The party switched to using [[STAR voting]] in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 7, 2020|title=STAR VOTING ANNOUNCEMENT|url=https://www.indparty.com/election-notice|access-date=April 11, 2020|website=Independent Party of Oregon|location=Salem|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=April 8, 2020|title=Independent Party of Oregon to utilize STAR system for primary|language=en|work=Herald and News|url=https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/local_news/independent-party-of-oregon-to-utilize-star-system-for-primary/article_b475ff5a-75c7-55f8-8e46-95b483eaff28.html|access-date=April 10, 2020}}</ref>

It is also used in internal elections by the [[American Solidarity Party]];<ref>{{cite web|url=https://solidarity-party.org/16112120-b9ec-4746-9bff-c2d18e7662b9/|title=Vice-Chair's Remarks|last1=Covich|first1=Skylar|website=American Solidarity Party|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622032935/https://solidarity-party.org/16112120-b9ec-4746-9bff-c2d18e7662b9/|archive-date=June 22, 2018|access-date=June 21, 2018}}</ref> the [[Green party|Green Parties]] of [[Green Party of Texas|Texas]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.txgreens.org/platform#reform|title=Platform|publisher=Green Party of Texas|access-date=January 31, 2017|quote=We support switching to a preferential voting method, such as approval voting.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.txgreens.org/by_laws|title=By-Laws|publisher=Green Party of Texas|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170129154828/http://www.txgreens.org/by_laws|archive-date=January 29, 2017|access-date=January 31, 2017|quote=The Co-Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary positions shall be filled by using approval voting.}}</ref> and [[Green Party of Ohio|Ohio]];<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ohiogreens.org/event/ohio-green-party-presidential-nominating-convention-columbus-results|title=Ohio Green Party Presidential Nominating Convention (Columbus)|publisher=Ohio Green Party|access-date=January 31, 2017|quote=We have agreed to use "approval voting" as opposed to "instant runoff voting" to make the Ohio Green Party choice for president|archive-date=February 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226172609/http://www.ohiogreens.org/event/ohio-green-party-presidential-nominating-convention-columbus-results|url-status=dead}}</ref> the [[Libertarian National Committee]];<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 4, 2020 |title=MEETING MINUTES LIBERTARIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE |url=https://lpedia.org/w/images/f/fa/LNC-MEETING_2020-10-04_FINAL.pdf#page=10 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://lpedia.org/w/images/f/fa/LNC-MEETING_2020-10-04_FINAL.pdf#page=10 |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |quote=VOTING METHOD: Approval Voting per OpaVote. Vote for as many candidates as desired.}}</ref> the [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian parties]] of [[Libertarian Party of Texas|Texas]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.lptexas.org/state-platform|title=State Platform|access-date=January 31, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170130003731/http://www.lptexas.org/state-platform|archive-date=January 30, 2017|publisher=Libertarian Party of Texas|quote=We also believe that all races should be decided by Approval Voting}}</ref> [[Libertarian Party of Colorado|Colorado]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Document:Colorado State Party Bylaws 2021 |url=https://lpedia.org/wiki/Document:Colorado_State_Party_Bylaws_2021 |access-date=September 24, 2022 |website=LPedia |quote=For any partisan offices, Convention Delegates shall vote by approval voting}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Colorado Convention 2018 |url=https://lpedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Convention_2018 |access-date=September 24, 2022 |work=LPedia |language=en |quote=All candidates were selected by approval voting via standing vote.}}</ref> [[Arizona Libertarian Party|Arizona]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bylaws |url=https://azlp.org/about/bylaws/ |access-date=September 24, 2022 |website=Arizona Libertarian Party |language=en-US |quote=The remaining Delegates … shall be elected by approval voting … should there be more Delegate Candidates than allotted seats.}}</ref> and [[Libertarian Party of New York|New York]];<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 7, 2021 |title=Rules of the Libertarian Party |url=https://lpny.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2021/11/LPNY-RULES-2021-11-07.pdf#page=10 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://lpny.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2021/11/LPNY-RULES-2021-11-07.pdf#page=10 |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |website=Libertarian Party of New York |quote=All elections shall be held with approval voting}}</ref> [[Alliance 90/The Greens]] in Germany;<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 18, 2017 |title=Grüne München: Satzung |trans-title=Statutes of the city association - Alliance 90/The Greens Munich-City District Association |url=https://www.gruene-muenchen.de/partei/satzung/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118171623/https://www.gruene-muenchen.de/partei/satzung/ |archive-date=January 18, 2017 |access-date=March 5, 2023 |language=de |quote=Delegierte für Bundes, Landes- und Bezirksversammlungen werden per Zustimmungsblockwahl gewählt. Jede*r Stimmberechtigte hat so viele Stimmen, wie Bewerber*innen zur Wahl stehen, und kann jeder*m Bewerber*in eine oder keine Stimme geben.}}</ref> and the [[Czech Pirate Party|Czech]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jednací řád celostátního fóra|url=https://wiki.pirati.cz/rules/jdr|access-date=November 16, 2021|website=Pirati.CZ|language=cs}}</ref> and [[German Pirate Party]]<!-- with a 50% threshold requirement? -->.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Akzeptanzwahl – Piratenwiki |url=https://wiki.piratenpartei.de/Akzeptanzwahl |access-date=2025-02-23 |website=wiki.piratenpartei.de |language=de |quote=Die Akzeptanzwahl ist aktuell das Standard-Wahlverfahren beim Großteil aller Parteitage in der Piratenpartei. |trans-quote=Approval Voting is currently the standard voting method at most party conventions in the Pirate Party.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wiki.piratenpartei.de/Bundesparteitag_2010.1/Gesch%C3%A4ftsordnung#Wahlen_zu_Vorstand_und_Schiedsgericht|title=Bundesparteitag 2010.1/Geschäftsordnung|publisher=[[German Pirate Party]]|language=de|access-date=June 24, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Election Data from the German Pirate Party (Piratenpartei) |url=https://sites.google.com/a/electology.org/www/pirate-elections-germany |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190219005345/https://sites.google.com/a/electology.org/www/pirate-elections-germany |archive-date=February 19, 2019 |access-date=September 24, 2022 |publisher=The Center for Election Science}}</ref>

Approval has been adopted by several societies: the Society for Social Choice and Welfare (1992),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unicaen.fr/recherche/mrsh/sites/all/themes/simpler2/scw/statutesSCW.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.unicaen.fr/recherche/mrsh/sites/all/themes/simpler2/scw/statutesSCW.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |title=Statutes of the Society for Social Choice and Welfare |publisher=Society for Social Choice and Welfare |access-date=January 28, 2020}}</ref> [[Mathematical Association of America]] (1986),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maa.org/about-maa/governance/governance-documents/bylaws#article9 |title=MAA Bylaws |publisher=[[Mathematical Association of America]] |date=August 7, 2010 |access-date=November 6, 2014}}</ref> the [[American Mathematical Society]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ams.org/notices/201508/rnoti-p931a.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.ams.org/notices/201508/rnoti-p931a.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |title=2015 American Mathematical Society Elections |publisher=[[American Mathematical Society]] |access-date=August 19, 2015}}</ref> the Institute of Management Sciences (1987) (now the [[Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences]]),<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.informs.org/content/download/363531/3797055/file/Constitution%20and%20Bylaws%20August%202017.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.informs.org/content/download/363531/3797055/file/Constitution%20and%20Bylaws%20August%202017.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |title=Constitution of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences |publisher=Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences |date=August 2017 |page=7}}</ref> the [[American Statistical Association]] (1987),<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.amstat.org/asa/files/pdfs/ABT-Bylaws.pdf |title = Bylaws of the American Statistical Association |date = September 19, 2018 |access-date = January 28, 2020 |publisher=[[American Statistical Association]]}}</ref> and the [[Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers]] (1987). 

Steven Brams' analysis of the 5-candidate 1987 Mathematical Association of America presidential election shows that 79% of voters cast a ballot for one candidate, 16% for 2 candidates, 5% for 3, and 1% for 4, with the winner earning the approval of 1,267 (32%) of 3,924 voters.<ref name="theory to practice"/><ref>{{Cite book|title=Handbook on Approval Voting|url=https://archive.org/details/handbookonapprov00lasl|url-access=limited|last1=Brams|first1=Steven J.|last2=Fishburn|first2=Peter C.|chapter=Going from Theory to Practice: The Mixed Success of Approval Voting |date=2010 |publisher=Springer Berlin Heidelberg|isbn=9783642028380|editor-last=Laslier|editor-first=Jean-François|series=Studies in Choice and Welfare|pages=[https://archive.org/details/handbookonapprov00lasl/page/n37 19]–37|language=en|doi=10.1007/978-3-642-02839-7_3|editor-last2=Sanver|editor-first2=M. Remzi}}</ref> The IEEE board in 2002 rescinded its decision to use approval. IEEE Executive Director Daniel J. Senese stated that approval was abandoned because "few of our members were using it and it was felt that it was no longer needed."<ref name="theory to practice">{{cite conference |last1=Brams |first1=Steven J. |last2=Fishburn |first2=Peter C. |title=Going from Theory to Practice: The Mixed Success of Approval Voting |work=Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association |publisher=[[American Political Science Association]] |access-date=May 8, 2010| url= http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/politics/faculty/brams/theory_to_practice.pdf | date=August 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181218010629/http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/politics/faculty/brams/theory_to_practice.pdf |archive-date=December 18, 2018}}</ref>

Approval voting was used for Dartmouth Alumni Association elections for seats on the College Board of Trustees, but after some controversy<ref name="verbum">{{cite news |url=https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2009/04/verbum-ultimum-making-amends |title=Verbum Ultimum: Making Amends |date=April 3, 2009 |work=The Dartmouth}}</ref> it was replaced with traditional runoff elections by an alumni vote of 82% to 18% in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://alumni.dartmouth.edu/content/dartmouth-alumni-association-election-results-new-executive-committee-elected-constitutional |title=Dartmouth Alumni Association Election Results: New Executive Committee Elected; Constitutional Amendment Passes |date=May 9, 2009 |publisher=Dartmouth Office of Alumni Relations}}</ref> Dartmouth students started to use approval voting to elect their student body president in 2011. In the first election, the winner secured the support of 41% of voters against several write-in candidates.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thelittlegreenblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/hix-12-dartmouth-student-body-both.html |last=Bruschi |first=Nathan |title=Hix '12, Dartmouth Student Body, both shafted in student election |date=April 16, 2011 |work=The Little Green Blog}}</ref> In 2012, Suril Kantaria won with the support of 32% of the voters.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2012/04/kantaria-danford-win-student-assembly-elections |title=Kantaria, Danford win Student Assembly elections |last=Shkuratov |first=Marina |date=April 16, 2012 |work=The Dartmouth}}</ref> In 2013, 2014 and 2016, the winners also earned the support of under 40% of the voters.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2013/04/ferrari-zhu-elected-to-lead-student-assembly |title=Ferrari, Zhu elected to lead Student Assembly |date=April 15, 2013 |last=Riordan |first=Michael |work=The Dartmouth}}</ref><ref name="Dennis, Cunningham to lead Assembly">{{cite news |url=https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2014/04/dennis-cunningham-to-lead-assembly |title=Dennis, Cunningham to lead Assembly |last=McGahan |first=Sara |date=April 15, 2014 |work=The Dartmouth}}</ref><ref name="thedartmouth.com">{{cite web |url=https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2016/04/harrington-wins-student-assembly-president-election |title=Harrington will be Student Assembly president |last=Jiang |first=Heyi |date=April 17, 2016 |work=The Dartmouth}}</ref> Results reported in ''The Dartmouth'' show that in the 2014 and 2016 elections, more than 80 percent of voters approved of only one candidate.<ref name="Dennis, Cunningham to lead Assembly"/><ref name="thedartmouth.com"/> Students replaced approval voting with plurality voting before the 2017 elections.<ref>[https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b397fa0e2ccd1b58ab7a317/t/5b3bf00f0e2e72d1275f0e3d/1530654736431/DartmouthSAConstitution.pdf], Dartmouth student constitution</ref>

===Historical===
[[file:The story of the greatest nations, from the dawn of history to the twentieth century - a comprehensive history, founded upon the leading authorities, including a complete chronology of the world, and (14765071792).jpg|300px|thumb|Rows of [[secret ballot|secret]] approval vote boxes from early 1900s [[Greece]], where the voter drops a marble to the right or left of the box, through a tube, one for each candidate standing]]
[[Robert J. Weber]] coined the term "Approval Voting" in 1971.<ref name=":0">{{citation|title=Approval Voting|first1=Steven J.|last1=Brams|author1-link=Steven Brams|first2=Peter C.|last2=Fishburn|author2-link=Peter C. Fishburn|page=xv|publisher=Springer-Verlag|year=2007|isbn=978-0-387-49895-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e7h7evxSclIC&pg=PR5}}</ref> It was more fully published in 1978 by political scientist [[Steven Brams]] and mathematician [[Peter Fishburn]].<ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.2307/1955105 |last1=Brams |first1=Steven |last2=Fishburn |first2=Peter | year = 1978 | title = Approval Voting | jstor =  1955105| journal = American Political Science Review | volume = 72 | issue = 3 | pages = 831–847 |s2cid=251092061 }}</ref>

<span id="Historical_use">Historically, several voting methods that incorporate aspects of approval have been used:</span>

* Approval was used for [[papal conclave]]s between 1294 and 1621, with an average of about forty cardinals engaging in repeated rounds of voting until one candidate was listed on at least two-thirds of ballots.<ref name="colomer">{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1162/002219598551616|author-link1=Josep Colomer |first1=Josep M. |last1=Colomer  |first2=Iain |last2=McLean | year = 1998 | title = Electing Popes: Approval Balloting and Qualified-Majority Rule | journal = The Journal of Interdisciplinary History | volume = 29 | issue = 1| pages = 1–22 | jstor=205972 |s2cid=145296691 }}</ref>
* In the 13th through 18th centuries, the [[Republic of Venice]] elected the [[Doge of Venice]] using a multi-stage process that featured random selection and voting that allowed approval of multiple candidates.<ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1007/BF00135090 | last = Lines |first=Marji | year = 1986 | title = Approval Voting and Strategy Analysis: A Venetian Example | journal = Theory and Decision | volume = 20 | issue = 2 | pages = 155–172 | s2cid = 121512308 }}</ref><ref>{{cite conference |first1=Miranda |last1=Mowbray |first2=Dieter |last2=Gollmann |date=July 2007 |url=http://www.hpl.hp.com/techreports/2007/HPL-2007-28R1.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.hpl.hp.com/techreports/2007/HPL-2007-28R1.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |title=Electing the Doge of Venice: analysis of a 13th Century protocol |conference=IEEE Computer Security Foundations Symposium |location=Venice, Italy}}</ref>
* According to Steven J. Brams, approval was used for unspecified elections in 19th century England.<ref>{{cite speech|url=http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/politics/faculty/brams/normative_turn.pdf |title=The Normative Turn in Public Choice |page=4 |date=April 1, 2006 |access-date=May 8, 2010 |first=Steven J. |last=Brams |event=Presidential Address to Public Choice Society |location=New Orleans, Louisiana|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100531093534/http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/politics/faculty/brams/normative_turn.pdf |archive-date=May 31, 2010}}</ref>
* The [[United Nations Secretary-General|Secretary-General]] of the [[United Nations]] is elected in a [[United Nations secretary-general selection#Procedure|multi-round straw poll process]] where, in each round, members of the [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]] may approve or disapprove of candidates, or decide to express no opinion. Disapproval by permanent members of the Security Council is similar to a veto. A candidate with no vetoes, at least nine votes, and more votes than any other candidate is considered to be likely to be supported by the Security Council in its formal recommendation vote.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.unsgselection.org/files/WisnumurtiGuidelinesSelectingCandidateSecretary-General.pdf |title= The "Wisnumurti Guidelines" for Selecting a Candidate for Secretary-General |access-date=November 30, 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080227114317/http://www.unsgselection.org/files/WisnumurtiGuidelinesSelectingCandidateSecretary-General.pdf |archive-date= February 27, 2008 |url-status= dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/cover-story/the-inside-story-of-how-i-lost-the-race-for-the-un-secretary-generals-job-in-2006-shashi-tharoor|title=The inside Story of How I Lost the Race for the UN Secretary-General's Job in 2006|last=Tharoor|first=Shashi|date=October 21, 2016|website=OPEN Magazine|language=en|access-date=March 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190721215655/http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/cover-story/the-inside-story-of-how-i-lost-the-race-for-the-un-secretary-generals-job-in-2006-shashi-tharoor |archive-date=July 21, 2019}}</ref>
*Approval was used in [[Greece|Greek]] legislative elections from 1864 to 1923, after which it was replaced with [[party-list proportional representation]].<ref name="mavrogordatos">{{Cite book|url=http://archive.org/details/bub_gb_MbSifRqxM1EC|title=Stillborn Republic: Social Coalitions and Party Strategies in Greece 1922{{endash}}1936|last=Mavrogordatos|first=George Th.|date=1983|publisher=University of California Press|pages=351–352|language=en}}</ref>
*[[Sequential proportional approval voting]] was used in [[Swedish elections]] in the early 20th century, prior to being replaced by [[party-list proportional representation]].

The idea of approval was adopted by X. Hu and [[Lloyd Shapley]] in 2003 in studying [[authority distribution]] in organizations.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Hu|first1=Xingwei|last2=Shapley|first2=Lloyd S.|year=2003|title=On Authority Distributions in Organizations|journal=Games and Economic Behavior|volume=45|issue=1|pages=132–170|doi=10.1016/S0899-8256(03)00130-1}}</ref>