Mustapha00
Well-Known Member
We are roughly one year away from electing the leader of the Free World.
Our process for election those who (at least claim to) represent us is among the most tidy procedures in the world. We do not have proportional representation. We do not have multiple parties which rarely elect enough candidates to form governments without having to form coalitions with at least somewhat like-minded other office holders. And, of course, our transitions have, thus far, proven to be without violence, no matter how heated the contest was.
However, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, our electoral process is the worst possible, save for all the others.
What changes might be worth considering? I would toss out a few proposals to start a conversation:
1) Expand Election Day from one day to an entire weekend, consisting of at least 24 hours split between Friday, Saturday and Sunday. While the Constitution
(Article 1, Section 4, Clause 1) recognizes that the states have the authority to regulate elections- save for Senator- this suggestion would still give to the states the ability to decide for themselves what hours their various election sites are open, so long as the minimum hour requirement is met. One of the objections to the current system is restrictive voting hours and limited days; this would accomplish the goal of addressing both of those concerns.
2) Voter ID should be made a requirement of all national elections. To avoid conflicting with Article 4, what constitutes a valid ID should be left up to the states to decide for themselves. Voting is arguably the most important civic duty most of us will every perform, yet it is more difficult, in many states, to obtain over-the-counter cold medicines than it is to vote. I would strongly suggest a biometric ID card, possibly with the biometrics added to the current driver's licenses, and I would have zero problem with the Federal government paying for this, as ensuring voting accuracy is a proper duty for government. Such a card could also replace the current Social Security card or any other form of identification that conclusively proves that you are a United States citizen and eligible to vote in good standing.
3) Establish Regional Primaries. Break the country up into a number of geographic zones, possibly with similar Electoral College counts (though this would require significant gerrymandering), with each zone to vote on the same day or days. I would think six zones (Northeast, Southeast, North Central, South Central, Northwest and Southwest) would work best. Each zone has their vote on the last weekend of a particular month, the order of zones voting to rotate with each election. If the process began in January, you'd have your party's nominee known by July. You could still have party conventions of course. Nominees would then have from July to the first of November to make their cases to the electorate. Regionally primaries already exist, such as the so-called "SEC Primary" in my neck of the woods early next year, so there is legal precedent.
4) If you do not pay Federal Income Taxes, you do not get to vote (with limited exceptions). No one that does not have "skin in the game", as Joe Biden likes to say, should have any input in the process. You should not be able to vote yourself free stuff at the expense of others. The exceptions: anyone on SSI disability; disabled or retired military who left in good standing; retirees who live on tax-deferred income; retirees on Social Security; anyone who paid even $1 in Federal Income Taxes, even if, through some program such as AFDC or EITC, they received back from the government more than they paid in. Perhaps there are other reasonable exceptions, and I hope that some suggestions can be offered. Constitutionally, this suggestion is on solid ground, as the so-called 'right to vote' does, indeed, have limitations (such as certain ex-felons losing the 'right').
5) Term Limits for all Federally-elected (and I could be persuaded, appointed, as in judges) individuals. The Founders never intended that "politician" be a career choice. They envisioned an individual being elected, serving a term or two, and then returning home to pursue their real avocation. I wholeheartedly agree with that, and would thus recommend a limit of two six year terms for Senators and 6 two-year terms for representatives, with the President still limited to two four-year terms. Legal precedent has been established by limiting the President to eight years.
Our process for election those who (at least claim to) represent us is among the most tidy procedures in the world. We do not have proportional representation. We do not have multiple parties which rarely elect enough candidates to form governments without having to form coalitions with at least somewhat like-minded other office holders. And, of course, our transitions have, thus far, proven to be without violence, no matter how heated the contest was.
However, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, our electoral process is the worst possible, save for all the others.
What changes might be worth considering? I would toss out a few proposals to start a conversation:
1) Expand Election Day from one day to an entire weekend, consisting of at least 24 hours split between Friday, Saturday and Sunday. While the Constitution
(Article 1, Section 4, Clause 1) recognizes that the states have the authority to regulate elections- save for Senator- this suggestion would still give to the states the ability to decide for themselves what hours their various election sites are open, so long as the minimum hour requirement is met. One of the objections to the current system is restrictive voting hours and limited days; this would accomplish the goal of addressing both of those concerns.
2) Voter ID should be made a requirement of all national elections. To avoid conflicting with Article 4, what constitutes a valid ID should be left up to the states to decide for themselves. Voting is arguably the most important civic duty most of us will every perform, yet it is more difficult, in many states, to obtain over-the-counter cold medicines than it is to vote. I would strongly suggest a biometric ID card, possibly with the biometrics added to the current driver's licenses, and I would have zero problem with the Federal government paying for this, as ensuring voting accuracy is a proper duty for government. Such a card could also replace the current Social Security card or any other form of identification that conclusively proves that you are a United States citizen and eligible to vote in good standing.
3) Establish Regional Primaries. Break the country up into a number of geographic zones, possibly with similar Electoral College counts (though this would require significant gerrymandering), with each zone to vote on the same day or days. I would think six zones (Northeast, Southeast, North Central, South Central, Northwest and Southwest) would work best. Each zone has their vote on the last weekend of a particular month, the order of zones voting to rotate with each election. If the process began in January, you'd have your party's nominee known by July. You could still have party conventions of course. Nominees would then have from July to the first of November to make their cases to the electorate. Regionally primaries already exist, such as the so-called "SEC Primary" in my neck of the woods early next year, so there is legal precedent.
4) If you do not pay Federal Income Taxes, you do not get to vote (with limited exceptions). No one that does not have "skin in the game", as Joe Biden likes to say, should have any input in the process. You should not be able to vote yourself free stuff at the expense of others. The exceptions: anyone on SSI disability; disabled or retired military who left in good standing; retirees who live on tax-deferred income; retirees on Social Security; anyone who paid even $1 in Federal Income Taxes, even if, through some program such as AFDC or EITC, they received back from the government more than they paid in. Perhaps there are other reasonable exceptions, and I hope that some suggestions can be offered. Constitutionally, this suggestion is on solid ground, as the so-called 'right to vote' does, indeed, have limitations (such as certain ex-felons losing the 'right').
5) Term Limits for all Federally-elected (and I could be persuaded, appointed, as in judges) individuals. The Founders never intended that "politician" be a career choice. They envisioned an individual being elected, serving a term or two, and then returning home to pursue their real avocation. I wholeheartedly agree with that, and would thus recommend a limit of two six year terms for Senators and 6 two-year terms for representatives, with the President still limited to two four-year terms. Legal precedent has been established by limiting the President to eight years.
