This is rather long, please read it all before you tell me I'm an idiot.
So, why is it that we have to go through all this ******** every two years? Aren't we sick and tired of the constant campaigning, advertising, and punditry? Isn't there a way we could cut through it and have more peaceful and quiet elections?
"No!" you say. Well, Shemp says you're WRONG!
Here is my proposal:
1. All U.S. citizens 18 years of age or older, who are eligible to vote unless there is some encumbrance (example: being in prison, mentally unfit, etc.) shall be required to register to vote. In most cases, this could be done automatically from presently available information (present voter rolls, driver licenses, census information, property tax bills, income tax filings, etc.). Anyone who refuses or fails to register shall automatically, if their information is available, be registered. If not, they will incur a small fine (say, $20) for failure to be registered by General Election Day.
2. All registered voters shall be required to register their political party preference from a list of parties that have qualified to be on the ballot in their state of residence (Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Green, etc.), or to choose to be Unaffiliated. Those who prefer parties that have not qualified for the ballot in their state shall be considered Unaffiliated.
3. At the end of polling on General Election Day, all registered voters who have chosen a qualified party affiliation, and who have not voted by absentee ballot or in person, shall AUTOMATICALLY be deemed to have voted for all candidates of the party they have chosen as their preference, in other words, a straight ticket. Those who want to vote a split ticket can do so simply by submitting their ballot by the time that polls close.
What would be the effects of this? Two that are certain:
1. Greater, perhaps even near-universal, voter participation.
2. Convenience for those who are content to vote a straight ticket.
Others that are speculative (feel free to tell me I'm wrong):
3. A huge decrease in campaigning, advertising, and punditry. With most voters having effectively made up their minds well in advance of General Election Day, there is no reason to spend time and money seeking their votes. Most present campaigning and advertising is not geared toward getting voters to change their minds, it's geared toward getting your party's voters to actually cast their vote. If that's not necessary, then most campaigning and advertising should decrease greatly. This should also cut down on the "talking heads" and their silly punditry. Whatever campaigning and advertising is needed could be done mostly by direct mail and directed internet advertising. It wouldn't completely clear the airwaves and internet of obnoxious ads, but it would certainly cut down on it.
4. It should cut down the campaign season length. With less need for campaigning, there should be less time allotted to it. Of course, these rules would not apply to primary elections; you still would need people to vote in those. But you could pass laws that require that no caucuses or primaries can be held before, say, June 1. All caucuses and primaries could be held in a six-to-eight week period, which would give time for the major parties to hold their conventions in the first half of September, and then a six week general election campaign period.
5. It should cut down on campaign money raising. Without the need for expensive campaigns, there's less need for funds. Of course, this probably won't stop the begging, but people might be less inclined to give when they know there really isn't a need for it.
Now, the flip side. There's several vested interests that would never go for this: politicians, campaign operatives, advertisers, media outlets, etc. Obviously, they have big money at stake. The only way to get this to happen would be for there to be a big grassroots push from voters who are sick and tired of the present system. If it ever were to happen, it would probably be a generational change; you'd need to get lots of young people who want to make the system change, and that takes time. Of course, the vested interests would fight tooth and nail, and would use their power to try to sucker the voters into thinking this would be bad for them and the country.
So, I have no real hope that this will ever happen, but I'd still like to discuss it. Maybe some people have ideas and suggestions about this, but even if you want to say "Shemp, you're a ******* idiot!" feel free to do so. :D
So, why is it that we have to go through all this ******** every two years? Aren't we sick and tired of the constant campaigning, advertising, and punditry? Isn't there a way we could cut through it and have more peaceful and quiet elections?
"No!" you say. Well, Shemp says you're WRONG!
Here is my proposal:
1. All U.S. citizens 18 years of age or older, who are eligible to vote unless there is some encumbrance (example: being in prison, mentally unfit, etc.) shall be required to register to vote. In most cases, this could be done automatically from presently available information (present voter rolls, driver licenses, census information, property tax bills, income tax filings, etc.). Anyone who refuses or fails to register shall automatically, if their information is available, be registered. If not, they will incur a small fine (say, $20) for failure to be registered by General Election Day.
2. All registered voters shall be required to register their political party preference from a list of parties that have qualified to be on the ballot in their state of residence (Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Green, etc.), or to choose to be Unaffiliated. Those who prefer parties that have not qualified for the ballot in their state shall be considered Unaffiliated.
3. At the end of polling on General Election Day, all registered voters who have chosen a qualified party affiliation, and who have not voted by absentee ballot or in person, shall AUTOMATICALLY be deemed to have voted for all candidates of the party they have chosen as their preference, in other words, a straight ticket. Those who want to vote a split ticket can do so simply by submitting their ballot by the time that polls close.
What would be the effects of this? Two that are certain:
1. Greater, perhaps even near-universal, voter participation.
2. Convenience for those who are content to vote a straight ticket.
Others that are speculative (feel free to tell me I'm wrong):
3. A huge decrease in campaigning, advertising, and punditry. With most voters having effectively made up their minds well in advance of General Election Day, there is no reason to spend time and money seeking their votes. Most present campaigning and advertising is not geared toward getting voters to change their minds, it's geared toward getting your party's voters to actually cast their vote. If that's not necessary, then most campaigning and advertising should decrease greatly. This should also cut down on the "talking heads" and their silly punditry. Whatever campaigning and advertising is needed could be done mostly by direct mail and directed internet advertising. It wouldn't completely clear the airwaves and internet of obnoxious ads, but it would certainly cut down on it.
4. It should cut down the campaign season length. With less need for campaigning, there should be less time allotted to it. Of course, these rules would not apply to primary elections; you still would need people to vote in those. But you could pass laws that require that no caucuses or primaries can be held before, say, June 1. All caucuses and primaries could be held in a six-to-eight week period, which would give time for the major parties to hold their conventions in the first half of September, and then a six week general election campaign period.
5. It should cut down on campaign money raising. Without the need for expensive campaigns, there's less need for funds. Of course, this probably won't stop the begging, but people might be less inclined to give when they know there really isn't a need for it.
Now, the flip side. There's several vested interests that would never go for this: politicians, campaign operatives, advertisers, media outlets, etc. Obviously, they have big money at stake. The only way to get this to happen would be for there to be a big grassroots push from voters who are sick and tired of the present system. If it ever were to happen, it would probably be a generational change; you'd need to get lots of young people who want to make the system change, and that takes time. Of course, the vested interests would fight tooth and nail, and would use their power to try to sucker the voters into thinking this would be bad for them and the country.
So, I have no real hope that this will ever happen, but I'd still like to discuss it. Maybe some people have ideas and suggestions about this, but even if you want to say "Shemp, you're a ******* idiot!" feel free to do so. :D
via International Skeptics Forum https://ift.tt/H06olQP
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