If you could change anything about our elections, what would it be?

[Sandpiper]

My first change would be to make election day a national holiday, so that working people wouldn't have any difficulty making it to the polls.

[MrSlayer]

1. I would make it majority rules.

Most votes wins, period. The electoral college is stupid and antiquated.

[bigwillq]

9. I brought up that question (How the EC sucks)

in a thread a few weeks ago. Although I still feel the popular vote should decide the election a few people brought up some great facts as to why it should (the EC) stay.

One example was: Say in CT 200,000 "dead"people" voted b/c scammers rigged the ballots, that candidate would still win CT's electoral votes regardless of how many votes they won by in the state.

But in the pop. vote 200,000 could decide the election. We don't want the rupukes rigging the election in any more ways than they did last time.

[CharlieBakerAble]

27. Keep the EC. We in small states don't want to be citified

The EC was a well thought idea that works well for the little guy.

[ButterflyBlood]

28. no it doesn't

it just makes those states even more ignored. the big swing states (basically OH, PA and FL) become all that matters. Wyoming's clout drops even more since everyone knows how it will go already and it's not worth it to fight the impossible for 3 EVs.

[Justitia]

36. yes, get rid of the EC

Then maybe I would feel like my damn vote counted for something in Texas.

[Racenut20]

2. The Presidential candidates.

[movonne]

3. That all our ballots would be counted....

[Zorra]

7. ......accurately.

[rock]

13. Agreed

Verification of votes.

[codegreen]

4. instant runoff voting, creating multiple party and candidate viabilities.

also get rid of the electoral college.

[AlinPA]

14. Agree. n/t

[ikojo]

5. I would have Instant Runoff Voting

I prefer candidate A so I list my primary preference as Candidate A. I then list my secondary, tertiary and fourth choices (if an option).

If I could not have IRV then I would like what many European countries have, proportional representation.

http://www.fairvote.org/irv/faq.htm

Here's a better explanation of Instant Runoff Voting...

What is instant runoff voting?
Instant runoff voting is a method of electing a single winner. It provides an alternative to plurality and runoff elections. In a plurality election, the highest vote getter wins even if s/he receives less than 50% of the vote. In a runoff election, two candidates advance to a runoff if no candidate receives more than 50% in the first round.

How does it work?
Voters rank candidates in order of choice: 1, 2, 3 and so on. It takes a majority to win. If anyone receives a majority of the first choice votes, that candidate is elected. If not, the last place candidate is defeated, just as in a runoff election, and all ballots are counted again, but this time each ballot cast for the defeated candidate counts for the next choice candidate listed on the ballot. The process of eliminating the last place candidate and recounting the ballots continues until one candidate receives a majority of the vote. With modern voting equipment, all of the counting and recounting takes place rapidly and automatically.

IRV acts like a series of runoff elections in which one candidate is eliminated each election. Each time a candidate is eliminated, all voters get to choose among the remaining candidates. This continues until one candidate receives a majority of the vote.

Isn’t this too complex for the voter? No. All the voter has to do is rank one or more candidates. It’s like renting a video or picking an ice cream: What video (or flavor) do you want? That’s your first choice. If they don’t have that video (or flavor), what would you like? That’s your second choice. If they don’t have that, what’s your third pick? That’s all there is to it. It’s as easy as 1-2-3.

Doesn’t this give extra votes to supporters of defeated candidates? No. In each round, every voter’s ballot counts for exactly one candidate. In this respect, it’s just like a two-round runoff election. You vote for your favorite candidate in the first round. If your candidate advances to the second round, you keep supporting that candidate. If not, you get to pick among the remaining candidates. In IRV candidates gets eliminated one at a time, and each time, all voters get to select among the remaining candidates. At each step of the ballot counting, every voter has exactly one vote for a continuing candidate. That’s why the Courts have upheld the constitutionality of IRV.

Does IRV eliminate "spoilers" and vote-splitting?
Yes. In multiple-candidate races, like-minded constituencies such as Latinos, liberals, conservatives, etc. can split their vote among their own competing candidates, allowing a candidate with less overall support to prevail. IRV allows those voters to rank all of their candidates and watch as votes transfer to their candidate with the most support. In partisan races, IRV prevents the possibility of a third party candidate "spoiling" the race by taking enough votes from one major candidate to elect the other.

[no name no slogan]

12. IRV ROCKS!!!!

In fact, we used it at our Congressional District convention to elect our two Kucinich delegates to the national convention in Boston.

Our subcaucus decided that our delegates (one male, one female) needed to win with a 50% + 1 majority vote. Since we had 8 male candidates, we might have been in for a LOOOOONG process to get our majority.

IRV was so simple, and took a LOT less time than if we had repeated ballots to get a majority vote. What could have become a few hours only lasted half an hour, not including candidate speeches/discussion. And we all got a delegate we could agree upon afterwards, too!

The sooner we get IRV, the closer we get to real Democracy.

[DjTj]

6. Open-Source Electronic Voting with a Paper Trail

nt

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. I'd make it a parliamentary system

with a PM and the power of the legislature to have a vote of no confidence. If we had to stay with our system, I'd do away with the Electoral College, have Election Day a national holiday with rewards for those who vote, NO electronic voting machines without a paper trail, and the right for everyone to write in for any candidate. And I'd like to see more political parties in positions of power-less likely that corporations can buy them all off.

[MoonRiver]

10. Free and equal television and radio air time.

[library_max]

11. Pitch Buckley v. Valeo out a window,

and have real campaign finance reform. The system's going to suck to some degree as long as campaign contributions are Constitutionally-protected speech. It makes any limits voluntary and easy to get around.

[Rooktoven]

15. I second that

and I second instant run-off voting

(and an end to the electoral college)

[ibegurpard]

16. Completely publicly financed

No individual contributions, corporate or personal, allowed PERIOD.

[jpgray]

17. Thirty minutes prime time TV daily for the two sides to directly debate

Whether through surrogates or in person. This would kick all kinds of ass for our side, but it would also be completely fair (follow that to its logical conclusion).

edit: Along with the complete public financing

[AntiCoup2K4]

18. Here's the top 5

1) No voting machines without a paper trail. No exceptions.

2) Electoral college - GONE.

3) State officials involved in the election process will not be allowed to hold an official position in a campaign (i.e. Kate Harris being Secretary of State AND Junior's campaign chair)

4) Breakup the media monopolies - and if you don't see the connection, you must have slept through this primary season. Also REAL campaign finance reform so a candidate doesn't have to be a multi millionaire (or married to one) to compete.

5) The primary season will NOT be cut short due to the agenda of any one party faction, and any party officials caught trying to influence the outcome through media manipulation, misleading ads, or whatever will be terminated immediately.

Implement those 5 rules and elections will be (with no apologies to FAUX News) Fair and Balanced.

[cyclezealot]

19. So many to list

1- Proportional representation in the House. States votes divvied up according to the acctual vote..Third parties would be represented if they garnered 5% of the vote.( I think third parties will be good for Democrats and Republicans.-Keep them honest to represent their base.
2- Maybe we should have a fusion of Democratic-farmer-labor like they have in Minnesota.?
3-Electoral college would exist only if the electoral vote was split according to proportional trends..No more winner take all.
4- TV would be required to donate time for political debates at all levels...Sunday local tv content laws would force TV stations to show local races in debate of some sort.
5- Public financing of campaigns.With TV stations required to give free air time, the dollars going to campaigns would not be that much.To get campaign money, the candidate would have to demonstrate some kind of local grassroots support.
6-I think requiring Congressional elections to have some kind of gender requirement might be a good thing?
7-IRV. No more being stuck with someone who we do not want.
8.Elections are held on National holidays.
9- A national law stating that the elector has a right that his vote be counted.Votes have a paper trail.
10-Less restrictive voting registration.Like Canada..Each election in Canada the local election authorites do an audit and every effort is made to have everyone registered who is eligible.
11-Those who do not vote on Election day do not get the day off.
12- Primaries are held over a smaller time frame..Select regions vote at once..March, maybe the Northwest. Regional primaries are chosen according to a lottery. Different regional primaries are different each election cycle.Primaries take no more than four months.
12- Since we have IRV and proportional representation,minority party representaion in the Congress/legislatures are encouraged. Minorty parities can get on the ballot with a reasonable demonstration of support. Maybe like 7% of the vote for governor.
Coalition politics is good..Keeps all honest.
The candidates would have to energize their base.
Campaign spot ads to be discouraged. Since they are full of distortions,so our elections will be worth participation.

[AlecBGreen]

21. you got the most important one!

make Election Day a national holiday. I mean seriously, WTF, we pay so much lip service to democracy yet me make everyone work on voting days. We cry about voter apathy, but who can vote if they work all day? Give everyone the day off and say "Here, you have nothing to do except exercise the freedoms which so many died for. GO VOTE!" Its that easy.

[gate of the sun]

20. no electoral college n/t

[Lydia Leftcoast]

22. That's it--no Electoral College

Just straight popular vote, like every other elected office in the country.

If that was too radical, then the votes cast by the electors should be proportionate to the popular vote in each state.

[AlecBGreen]

23. i disagree

the electoral college works (unless you have a corrupt supreme court...but i digress). if it were straight numbers, candidates would only appeal to urbanites in LA, NY, DC, etc where they can bombard lots of people with the local media. ALthough they are mostly Dems, its not fair to exclude the rest of America simply b/c they live in Cowshit, Nebraska.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

24. As a resident of Cowshit

Montana, I vote for keeping the EC.

[ButterflyBlood]

29. wrong

NY, LA and DC are all Dem strongholds and everyone already knows how they'll vote. Similary, there's no way a Democrat will win Cowshit, Nebraska. Abolishing the EC means every vote will matter, not just those in swing states.

[gate of the sun]

33. exactly and every vote should count

even the one's you don't like.
With fair elections and 1 vote 1 person we could have a true democracy. I think it could actually change the apathy in our country.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

25. Give people a real education so they can make informed choices.

The reason people are so easy for the evil to manipulate is that they are never taught to think in the first place.

[JI7]

26. get rid of electoral college

and as someone else said, do the runoff thing. if nobody gets majority of the votes in the first election. have a runoff of the top 2 candidates .

[ButterflyBlood]

30. abolish the Electoral College

and no, the EC doesn't help out small states. It only benefits large swing states. And the whole crap about candidates would just campaign in the largest cities is a load of shit since it's pretty much already set that NYC, LA and Chicago will vote at least 70% Democratic and nothing will change that. Swing regions in safe states such as upstate NY will finally matter.

[ACK]

31. Get rid of the Electoral College is easy but if you want real change .....

Take away the winner takes all part so the percentage of electoral college delegates are based on percentage of votes so 3rd parties had a chance.

[The Magistrate]

32. My Own Modest Proposal

Would be to have "None Of The Above" as a line on all ballots: anyone who lost to None Of The Above would be banned from ever running again for any public office; should None Of The Above defeat all other candidates, the office to go unfilled for the term contested...

[gate of the sun]

34. that could be fun!

I mean that in a real way......get rid of those people who 90% of us don't like. Like in Spain we could have a whole new world of possibility.

[minkyboodle]

35. Mine

1. Election day a national holiday
2. Get rid of the Electoral College
3. Instant Run off Voting
Are these things really that unreasonable, they could do wonders towards reviving our democracy from its current sad state.
Scott

[dryan]

37. It should be a national holiday!

[GreenPartyVoter]

38. In order of preference (as I voted on my poll)

Verifiable voting

Ranked voting

Open debates

Election holidays

Clean elections

Proportional representation

Electoral college reform.


(Though I'd love to see all of this stuff happen concurrently. ;) )

[Upfront]

39. Elections

Who is running for election to President.