CNN: 380 million Indians voted without a hitch

[BeyondGeography]

Using the same electronic voting machine across the country. The machine was mandated by a national Elections Commission.

The report juxtaposed the seamless Indian approach with the balkanized American system, where the method of voting varies across 50 states and, often, within the states themselves.

Our approach to voting is becoming a global joke. The first thing Kerry should do once he's elected is support electoral reform, especially if Election Day turns out to be the mess we all fear.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. We need ONE RELIABLE system of voting in this Country!

The Federal Government should mandate the rules! I am sick and tired of this "States Rights" crap. "States Rights" was origionally meant to justify segregation and now its being used to deny minorities the equal right to vote.

[AIJ Alom]

2. agreed !!!

[franmarz]

3. ABSOLUTELY-ONE SYSTEM WOULD DO IT FOR VOTES

I am in favor of doing away with the electoral system and making our elections what the founding fathers had in mind in the first place.
However, they did not visualize all the voting tricks that have been perfected along the years, anyone remember old Mayor Daly of Chicago, now there was a real wizard at moving the politics his way.

[MsTryska]

4. Oh God.....please lets not bring up the Indian Election of earlier this

year....i've still got nightmares of people whining about the outcome.



but your right....the election itself did go off wihtout a hitch. which is saying soemthing, considering India is divided up into states too, which are then divided up by language and culture.

[meg]

5. And that little seal on the machine after the vote

is really going to stop and pre-programmed fraud or other fraud that occurred during the voting. Oh, and it will stop all of the tabulation fraud. Wow, what a deep piece of investigative journalism! NOT!

[brooklynite]

6. There is a fundamental difference

They (and most other countries) vote for one, and only one thing at a time; therefore all you need is a simple electronic tabulator to which names can be assigned at the last minute. We on the other hand vote for President, Senatore, Congressperson, State Senator, Asseblyperson, County Commissioner of Agriculture, etc, along the 20-30 odd referendums and initiatives. No voting system other than a lot of individual paper ballots and boxes will easily hanlde this situation.

[BeyondGeography]

7. That's why I said "reform"

not adopt the Indian system.

One solution could be to isolate the presidential election, as other countries do. It's only once every 4 years, last I looked.

We could also hold it on a Sunday, as other countries do, to maximize turnout. Or, to counteract the inevitable complaint from the fundies, make Election Day a national holiday.