What country has the best voting system?????

[Carl Brennan]

My idea is find the country with the soundest voting system and emulate it as best as possible.


I'd like to brainstorm here with all DU'ers.

Thanks for your help.

[leftchick]

1. Canada...

I believe they still use a pencil and a paper ballot.

[ithacan]

16. agreed

there's no reason not to use paper.

Canada does and it gets the votes counted within several hours of polls closing. That's with a population of 31 million, the size of a large US state.

[Siyahamba]

23. Separate election days help too

Canada doesn't hold every election on one day. Federal, provincial, and municipal election are all held on separate days, and therefore are on separate ballots. That makes it easier and faster to count.

[merbex]

27. I learned it was Canada in 2000

their precincts are extremelt small 100-200 people tops. It can be counted quickly. There are just polling places everywhere.Like in your neighborhood or if you live in a big neighborhood you might have a couple of polling places within that neighborhood

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. I like Ireland's borda voting system and proportional representation

Go to my site and find out about it by clicking the borda link. :)

-----------------------------------------------------------
FIGHT! Take this country back one town and state at a time!
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/electionreform.htm

[jugami]

13. My vote too

Thiswould certainly give us the best chance of getting more parties involved. Could you imagine a congress with seven parties!

[GreenPartyVoter]

17. I'd love it, actually *g*

-----------------------------------------------------------
FIGHT! Take this country back one town and state at a time!
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/electionreform.htm

[Onlooker]

3. France

I don't know how the French handle absentee ballots, but I read somewhere that the French simply have people drop ballots into a box and then after the polls close, a whole bunch of people stand around and watch the ballots being counted. I think states with Diebold equipment should organize a ballot initiative to bring back traditional voting procedures. (The word 'traditional' would probably appeal to a lot of people.)

[pantouflard]

19. France also has

Instant Runoff Voting, which supports multiple parties. And they vote on weekends, Sunday I believe. Their precincts are very small, and all are welcome to watch the counting of the votes.

[Maple]

4. Canada

bar none.

[Massacure]

5. E-Voting should be fine, however if they do it then they need to

Release the source code ahead of time, and allow anyone to point out errors in it.

The password should be a variable and should not be seen in the sourcecode.

The code should be made so that once the user says SEND it cannot be changed, even if they have the password.

It should then print a paper ballot that can be read by a machine similar to the census.

Edit: One more thing. Voting should be a national holiday, and not voting should be illegal!

Edit again: I forgot Run off voting. This way people can vote Green first, and then Dem second.

[TheKingfish]

6. You might want to start out by making election day a holiday n/t

[Maple]

8. Make it a holiday

and people will holiday, not vote.

[jugami]

12. I disagree

I think if you keep it on a Tuesday in November, most (sure, not all) people will stick around and vote. Of course they will go shopping and take other advantages of not having to work. I don't see a high percentage of people heading for the coast for the day. But then again I have underestimated the stupidity American people before...

[PretzelWarrior]

7. India. One single open election using E-VOTING with a paper trail

world's BIGGEST democracy also does democracy the BEST

[aePrime]

9. Well, if you want to get into the logistics of it

the way we vote is probably the worst way there is. I mean, voting for one candidate over the other. It doesn't accurately represent the desire of the voters.

There are several alternatives, a rank vote, where people rank the candidates in their preference order, or multiple voting, where people vote for as many people in an office as they want.

They all have their benefits and drawbacks, but what we currently use, mathematically speaking, sucks. :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting

I think if we moved to one of the other forms, it'd also give a more probable rise to a third-party system (or more!).

[laundry_queen]

10. I'd ditto Canada, but it's the only place I've ever voted...

Hi new here!
Our system is paper and pencil. You put an X or check mark or fill in the circle beside your candidates name (as long as intention is clear, it counts). The people count while other people look on. Woila. Oh, and there's only one question on the ballot. I don't understand how you all have like 1000 things to vote for all at once. I believe the presidential ballot should be seperate from everything else. jmho.

[Jasper 91]

14. We obviously have the same system

And I obviously can't type very fast , or I wouldn't have duplicated your suggestion for separating the Presidential election , from the other offices up for election .

If we can both see this is the solution , why can't all these great minds in America come up with a sensible , uniform system . Then again , the Repugs have the electoral process they want , as it works for them .:crazy: :) :)

[Jasper 91]

11. In the UK , we still use the paper ballot

It couldn't be simpler . On the ballot slip , there is a list of prospective MPs right next to the Party that they are representing . All you have to do is put a cross in the box next to your choice . There is no way to make a mistake . It takes about 5 seconds to scan for your candidate and Party , and about 2 seconds mark it . I have never had to wait for even 1 second to cast my vote . There are no queues because it is so quick . When you have finished putting a cross , on a piece of paper , (it's such hard work) , you place the ballot in a locked box , which is not opened until it is ready to be counted . Then it is counted in full view of everyone , by bi-partisans .

We don't have General elections at the same time as Local elections , so everyone who has gone to the polling stations to vote , has gone to vote for their MP in order to give their Party the majority of MPs and consequently PM and governing Party.

As you vote for many offices on the same day , I think the best solution is to separate the Presidential ballot from all the others . This would have the added benefit of eradicating all those people who supposedly go to vote , but don't bother voting for the President .

Our votes , despite being counted by hand , always return the result by no later than early the following morning , and of course , are also still there , ready to be recounted in the case of a close election .

In elections , low-tech is the only way to go . :)

[d_b]

15. Pen and paper here in Alaska

[seemslikeadream]

18. Another beautiful thing about Alaska

[doctor klahn]

20. Costa Rica's

...system is pretty damn good. After the revolution there in 1948, which was mostly brought about by electoral fraud, interestingly enough, when the challenger won the election and the incumbent regime subequently disregarded the results.

After the revolution, one of the revolutionary leaders, "Pepe" Figueres, made the Electoral Commission a fully autonomous and sovereign branch of government, impervious to tampering by rival political parties. This commission is responsible for running the elections fairly, and does so quite vigourously. Costa Rica has had honest elections to this day.

[Jasper 91]

21. If you all agree that pen and paper is the only way to go

Write to your congressperson , senator and anyone else you can think of , to change your corrupt and corruptable electoral process . Now is the time to instigate change , before we are discussing the theft of your next election .

[ceile]

22. Ireland n/t

[RevCheesehead]

24. Wisconsin: God's Country (and we're blue!)

1. Same-day registration with proof of address
2. No party registration required
3. Open primaries
4. Paper ballots w/optical scan - by law. NO BBV's!
5. "no excuse" absentee ballots

[aneerkoinos]

25. Finland

Not necessarily the best, but quite OK.

Pen and paper, but that is not so important.

What is important is proportional representation, but voting person, not party list (d'Hondt system). Two rounds in Presidential election, got rid of "electorial college" some years ago.




But think beyond. Modern version of Athenian democracy in the computer/information age. Basic idea that elected officials draft legislation suggestions and people decide on them by direct vote. Any form of elected Chief Executive (PM or President) not really needed.

Here in more detail: Let's call the body of elected officials, professional administrators, bureaucrats and experts in various fields the Parliament. Drafting legislation for complex society needs a degree of professionalism and expertice, but these professionals need to be under democratic control and represent various fields and opinions (thus proportional representation). Thus elected parliament with power of initiative, to put (often competing) legislation proposals (including budget and everything) to the people to vote.

We have seen that representative democracy has lead to the corrupted power of political parties in place of we the people. So let the people decide. How? Making decisions is also hard job, even if easier and less time consuming than drafting proposals, and all the people voting all the time is logistical nighmere. Easy to solve in computer age: draw by lot statistically representative number of people for say a year at time, give them computers and connection to secure intranet to study the proposals, discuss them and vote at home. Plus little compensation for serving their civic duty.

Some details to be honed out, but that about takes care of the legislative branch. What about judicial and executive brances? Nothing could be easier, once you get the democratic legislative system that is representative, participatory and direct running, rest takes care of itself. People decide. We. The. People.

[AP]

26. Venezuela. Machines count, but print a paper ballot. You know the winner

immediately, but have a paper trail.