General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBeginning with next Federal election=NEW RULES
the US Govt needs to make serious changes to electing our Federal officials.
Ballots need to be uniform for all states- no stupid butterfly ballots or other shit
Rules need to be uniform for all states - no poll taxes i.e., ID, etc.
Same Day Registration
Early Voting in all States
Election Day a National Holiday
All electronic voting machines need to have a verifiable paper trail
that's for starters. It is just inconceivable that the United States goes through this mickey mouse version of voting every 4 years that must be the laughing stock of the world.
This needs to be a friggin #1 priority!
Dem2TheCore
(220 posts)cloudbase
(5,520 posts)Any code used for electronic voting machines shall be open source and vetted for security by NIST.
Jamaal510
(10,893 posts)What we have right now is a totally outdated and hypocritical concept, anyway, with regards to leaving the voting rules to the states. That's what many of the social laws were like back in the day, and that didn't exactly work out too well for people who weren't wealthy landowners. And the same group of people who talk about freedom and obeying the Constitution are the ones who don't want the Feds to step in, just so they can be tyrants state-by-state.
The Time is Now
(86 posts)Let's do this.
mwooldri
(10,303 posts)1) Separate Federal elections from State and Local ones. Concentrate on 3 candidates, not 28.
2) Change the term: a term runs anywhere from 3-5 years, the President calls the election date 3 months ahead of time.
3) A Congressional Rep sits for 1 term before facing re-election, a Senator sits for 2. Presidents are re-elected every term up to a maximum of three terms.
4) Primaries are decided by actual Party Members. If the Party wants to put up extreme candidates, fine. If the Party Members have sense, they try to pick a candidate from their own who could actually win.
5) Barriers lowered for other candidates to enter a particular race. Time to have more than two parties having a shot at a race.
6) Ideally change to Single Transferable Vote, but for now First Past the Post will work.
7) The electoral register is to be handled at the federal level, not local or State.
8) Some kind of Early Voting OK.
9) Mandatory voting. At least show up to the voting booth even if you spoil the paper.
10) Paper Only. Scantron machines can be used, alternatively on a federal election a voter gets handed 3 pieces of paper, one for President, one for Congressional Rep, and one for Senator. Mark the X by the one who you want to vote for on each paper, or write-in.
11) Semi-anonymous voting. No-one needs to know who you voted for, but the right for you to see your ballot afterwards should be there.
12) Nationwide individual voter registration drive 24/7. Illegal not to be on the register if you are eligible to vote.
13) Felons who have served their time can vote. None of this barred from voting for life.
14) Strict spending limits by the candidates. Outside money OK but who is advertising must be transparent.
15) No employer co-ercion of employees to vote a specific way.
That's my starter.