So first of all, I think that only three evaluation methods should be considered - ballot conversion/reduction to traditional "single choice", "sum of ratings", and Schulze. You might need to start off with conversion to traditional "single choice", because it's hard to argue against adopting it. That is, you're not actually changing the election system at all. You're just allowing people to optionally express extra information about their preferences in a way that does not affect the election. But it will give each voter a chance to, if they want, try out more expressive ballots (which will presumably be appealing to most people once they get the hang of it), and the public will be told how the election would have resulted under the other two evaluation systems. Presumably, a more "centrist" candidate would generally have won. And after a few election cycles, people will be able to form an opinion on which evaluation system they think produces the best results.
I think the reason why electoral system change has so often been met with public resistance is that most people don't have a feel for how the results would change, and nobody is offering them a chance to get familiar with a different election system without an up-front commitment to the change.
If you can get people to accept the "sum of ratings" evaluation method, then I say be happy with that. The fact that "sum of ratings" is arguably not as good as Schulze is a very high class problem to have. (Btw I'm using Schulze as a stand-in for any "good but complex" evaluation system.) Anyway, I'm not sure the improvement in evaluation is worth having an evaluation system that most people wouldn't understand.
So just to sum up, I think what I'm proposing is different and more acceptable in that:
i) It allows people to use whichever ballot they feel most comfortable with, knowing that no matter which ballot they choose, their vote will count as much as any other voter.
ii) It allows voters, if they so choose, to get familiar with the more expressive ballots and different evaluation methods without committing to any change in the election system.
I think the reason why electoral system change has so often been met with public resistance is that most people don't have a feel for how the results would change, and nobody is offering them a chance to get familiar with a different election system without an up-front commitment to the change.
If you can get people to accept the "sum of ratings" evaluation method, then I say be happy with that. The fact that "sum of ratings" is arguably not as good as Schulze is a very high class problem to have. (Btw I'm using Schulze as a stand-in for any "good but complex" evaluation system.) Anyway, I'm not sure the improvement in evaluation is worth having an evaluation system that most people wouldn't understand.
So just to sum up, I think what I'm proposing is different and more acceptable in that:
i) It allows people to use whichever ballot they feel most comfortable with, knowing that no matter which ballot they choose, their vote will count as much as any other voter.
ii) It allows voters, if they so choose, to get familiar with the more expressive ballots and different evaluation methods without committing to any change in the election system.