Mexico vs. US: whose elections system is better?

[tgnyc]

As we all know, Mexico held its presidential election last week. The offcial results show the conservative candidate with an extremely small margin over the liberal one. A color-coded map of the state-by-state results shows a North/South regional divide. And there has been a request by the second place candidate for a recount.

Sound familiar?

Well, despite the dramatic similarities between the outcome of this election and the notorious 2000 US election debacle, the fact is that Mexico’s and the U.S.’s elections processes are about as similar as a jalapeño pepper and a celery stalk. In fact, Mexico’s elections process is far superior to that of the United States. Regardless of the bad feelings spurrred by the current immigration debate between those two countries, the United States could a thing or two about running elections from its southern neighbor.

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[Awsi Dooger]

1. Depends on how you view the electoral college

Minus fraud, I think I prefer every vote being equal. But just imagine a national popular vote and all the potential for low tech suppression if suddenly the tiny middle America precincts in previously safe states have incentive to deny a few votes here and there. We wouldn't be talking about Ohio alone, it would be 50 states and one piece of evidence after another, impossible to verify or weigh.

[demosincebirth]

2. We have the worst Presidential election system in the world.

Where else does the candidate who gets the most votes lose?