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If not proper elections at least a whole population simulation before the polls. That way people could express their true preferences without fearing that their vote will not count if it goes to a fringe candidate and would reassure them that they're not as few as regular polls and eventual results usually show.

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Surely the issue is voting systems that do not rationally incorporate each voter's preference equally?

Unless you're suggesting iteration as a way to get around Arrow’s paradox? I'm not sure if anyone has tried it - could be interesting? But if not, then ranking candidates get you the same results.

Few voters will express their true preferences and will go instead with 'the lesser evil' when they fear their option will be in a small percentile and discarded. It is not unusual to have systems where 5% is required for a party to get into the parliament, or for a nominee to get into preliminary rounds, etc. So one cannot expect a voting system to incorporate all voter's preferences if they are very small but a warm-up voting would reveal that the fringes that big media avoids covering can become popular.

That way people could express their true preferences without fearing that their vote will not count if it goes to a fringe candidate

Isn't that exactly what instant-runoff voting solves?

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