As we begin 2009, mere days away from another presidential inauguration, it seems a fitting time to review the system by which we select the president. Each of the last few elections, as far as I can remember, has been marred by some sort of inconsistency. Whether it was hanging chads in Florida or questionable voting machines in Ohio, questions and concerns have affected the legitimacy of each of these elections. At the very least, these inconsistencies have lessened public confidence in our democratic election process. But I have the solution. The following is my plan for what I think is a relatively simple, cost-effective, secure and safe way to conduct our national elections.
As an introductory note, I generally believe in the power of the states to conduct their own business. However, national elections fall into the small group of powers for which the national government should try to create uniformity throughout the states, as the election of a president requires the participation of the citizens of each state, and the president will, undoubtedly, exercise power over each of these citizens. My election plan is basically a national plan, that will be foisted upon the states through the exercise of Congress’s spending power, the way that Congress makes the states do things like have 21+ drinking ages: by making federal funding conditional upon the acceptance of the federal program. It is a perfectly legitimate way to make the states comply with important national interests, and will ensure the legitimacy of my plan.
II. The Voting System
(1) Getting people to the polls
Elections should be treated like jury service, as both are part of the bedrock of the American system. Without citizen service on juries, we could not have either our civil or criminal justice systems. Likewise, without the voices of the citizenry being made heard through elections, our democracy would be but a sham. As such, election days should be treated just like jury service days. Employees should receive compensated time off from work for as long as it takes to complete their civic duty. While jurors may not receive pay for the entire duration of their trials, voting presents an easier case, because at most, it will take a couple of hours for someone to vote. Election Day need not be made a national holiday, although doing so would truly showcase our devotion to the democratic process, but possibly making it a half-day of work should allow everyone enough time to ensure that they can get to the polls and do their duty. At the very least, we can make sure people have the time to get to the polls.
If you don’t want to vote, you don’t have to. But I am of the school that you don’t get to complain about things you don’t make an effort to help change. So anyone that you complain to about politics can ask if you voted, and if you didn’t, they get to kick you in the shin for each complaint. If you don’t want to vote, or don’t understand how, we aren’t going to force you, but we aren’t going to hold your hand any further than I outline below regarding the ballots. This is still America. Grow up and take some personal responsibility.
(2) Making sure votes count
It is a fundamental tenet of our democratic republic that everyone (who is not legally deemed ineligible to do so, i.e., felons) has the right to one vote in every election. It is implied that these votes should all carry the same weight, that is, each person’s vote counts the same as every other person’s vote. In order for votes to count, they have to be counted, and this seems like the largest problem facing our system today. Election officials seem to be unable to count ballots, or unable to determine which ones should count, or even how to count them. Think again back to hanging chads and you will know what I mean.
My system eliminates these problems. First, upon entering the polling place, voters will be given a piece of paper with all of the candidates’ names and parties and whatnot listed, with a carbon copy of the ballot underneath. On the top page of the ballot will be an instruction sheet, explaining how the ballot works in very simple terms (as it is a very simple ballot). Voters then mark a big X in the box next to the candidate that they want to vote for. This will be clearly laid out in the instructions, which will have a big picture of an X in a box with a check-mark and a smiley face under it, and pictures of other markings in the box, with smaller x’s and frowny faces under them, to indicate the correct and incorrect ways to mark the ballot.
Voters finish filling out all the boxes that they want, ensure that the carbon copy is also marked, and then put the top copy in one box (clearly marked) and the carbon copy in another box (also clearly marked) in the voting booth. The voter will then go home, back to work, or wherever it is they care to go; their job is done.
The election officials’ job, however, continues. When the polls close, the election officials take the contents of all of the first types of boxes and put them together and deliver them to a specially hired, completely transparently-run counting company for counting. The other box will be delivered to a different, specially hired, completely transparently-run counting company for secondary counting.
All ballots that are not properly marked (e.g., not with a big X as indicated), filed by the appropriate date, or otherwise wrongly submitted will be thrown out. End of discussion. If you can’t follow these simple directions, then you don’t deserve to have your vote counted in this election. Seems like a lot of confusion can be avoided in this simple way, but it requires making the ballot instructions painfully simple to understand, which is also provided for by this plan.
Importantly, the newsmedia will not be alerted to any potential results or anything apart from their own exit polling research. This is to encourage people to vote throughout the day as well as to maintain the neutrality of the counting companies doing their job. The newsmedia will be fully alerted of all election results as soon as they are completed, certified by the companies and election officials to ensure that both ballot counts match and whatever else the states want to do to ensure accuracy and completeness (e.g. waiting for absentee ballots).
III. Advantages
This system should clear up any problems we have with vote inaccuracies, exceedingly low turnout rates, recounts and all the other slop that we have been subjected to since 2000 (and I am sure prior to that too). It ensures that virtually everybody who registers to vote can get to the polls and will understand how to cast their ballot, while also making sure that those who are not in the least intelligent enough to understand this very simple ballot will be excluded, as their participation is honestly not wanted or necessary.
The dual counting mechanism ensures that we have accuracy, as any recounts will be conducted by the companies exchanging ballots and re-counting the other’s work, and because there are basically two sets of ballots to be counted and to corroborate each other’s totals. The companies will be specially selected for their impartiality, and will be fully staffed by people who know how to count to very high numbers, or at least can make a tally on a chalkboard (which has apparently been a difficult part to find in the previous years).
The paper ballot, while not the epitome of technology, will eradicate any potential bias from very expensive and breakage-prone electronic machines, confusing butterfly ballots, or out-of-date lever systems. In addition, it allows people to vote the way that they vote at almost any non-raise-of-the-hand-voting style meetings anywhere else: by paper ballot. It is certainly more expensive to repair or haul in a Diebold from Ohio (with all associated connotations of questionable reputation) than to print out some paper ballots. Side note, for you tree huggers already crying about this plan, shut up, there are lots of trees.
It may seem like a simplistic and rudimentary way to vote, but I cannot think of a better way to ensure that votes are able to be cast, counted and reported more effectively. And in any case, we really only need to do it every four years.
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