Polls

[Perfection]

It's a multi choice poll

 

[pawpaw]

some polls allow you to vote more than once, this makes it harder to figure the % like you just did

 

[Ayatollah So]

Originally posted by pawpaw
some polls allow you to vote more than once, this makes it harder to figure the % like you just did

That's interesting (and weird), but how is it relevant?

 

[Padma]

The % total for all the choices must equal 100%. In a multiple choice poll, (like you described) that means the numbers aren't going to be what you expect. In your example, you said three people voted, but the total number of votes is eight. Therefore, the percentages are calculated on 8 votes, not 3.

 

[Lefty Scaevola]

As I recall, it is the other way, divied by the number of voters, note votes, resulting in course with an irrelevant total percentage above 100%, with only the % of posters who voted for a particular choice meaningful.

 

[Ayatollah So]

Originally posted by Lefty Scaevola
As I recall, it is the other way, divied by the number of voters, note votes, resulting in course with an irrelevant total percentage above 100%, with only the % of posters who voted for a particular choice meaningful.

I wish you were right. But take a look at this thread

Note that the total "percentage" being above 100% isn't totally useless: it tells you how many choices, on average, each voter endorsed.