I guess the one issue I take is that: you say yourself that it's a "people's choice" thing - and hence it's a popularity contest by default, whichever way the voting system goes - and as an Australian who loves our instant-runoff voting - I'd wonder whether asking for full preferences etc would discourage people voting further*. But it wouldn't change a landslide of people voting for a fave.
(*Unless they only asked for three preferences I guess - which'd make it no more confusing than the current 3-2-1 probably.)
IRV's not without precedent in award voting, the Oscars use it for Best Picture - but they're drawing from a fixed and known academy membership there. If there was a "most outstanding" as opposed to "most popular" that was voted on by ALAA members, IRV might be suitable - but I think that would take away from the point of the recommended list, to promote and get people to actually read/watch 15, 20 or so good pieces of furry literature and other things, rather than focusing on one winner and seeing the rest get inevitably shunned by many - and I could imagine the "drama" that we are well known for. So the Ursas are in a bind there.
If one has to accept that the awards themselves, like any other online public votes, is going to be a popularity contest and not always a true indication of "best" - I don't see why 3-2-1 (or I'll be totally heretic, even just one vote) is any less suitable for that? All I'll say though is, I'd agree that 3-2-1 only works if everyone actually uses all three votes. Hmm.
I guess the one issue I take is that: you say yourself that it's a "people's choice" thing - and hence it's a popularity contest by default, whichever way the voting system goes - and as an Australian who loves our instant-runoff voting - I'd wonder whether asking for full preferences etc would discourage people voting further*. But it wouldn't change a landslide of people voting for a fave.
(*Unless they only asked for three preferences I guess - which'd make it no more confusing than the current 3-2-1 probably.)
IRV's not without precedent in award voting, the Oscars use it for Best Picture - but they're drawing from a fixed and known academy membership there. If there was a "most outstanding" as opposed to "most popular" that was voted on by ALAA members, IRV might be suitable - but I think that would take away from the point of the recommended list, to promote and get people to actually read/watch 15, 20 or so good pieces of furry literature and other things, rather than focusing on one winner and seeing the rest get inevitably shunned by many - and I could imagine the "drama" that we are well known for. So the Ursas are in a bind there.
If one has to accept that the awards themselves, like any other online public votes, is going to be a popularity contest and not always a true indication of "best" - I don't see why 3-2-1 (or I'll be totally heretic, even just one vote) is any less suitable for that? All I'll say though is, I'd agree that 3-2-1 only works if everyone actually uses all three votes. Hmm.