Should the Voting System be Changed

[ourvote]

There are many in the country that are not satisfied with the voting system which has been used for decades. Is it time to revisit the voting system? What effect would it have on our next election? What if voting was done online through OurVote.us?

Should the Voting System be Changed (Permalink).

Debate this topic below!

[john]

There should definitely be a way to manage electronic voting. Maybe internet voting isn't secure enough yet, but they should at least be able to stop using all the paper ballots and have an instant electronic transmission of a vote when you select your candidate/parties. We could watch voting day like a horse race.

[ari2583]

It is seriously time that someone does take a look at our voting system. With all the states jockeying to have their primaries first, the referendum in California to break up the electoral votes by Congressional District and the fact that a handful of states effect the outcome of the general election (sometimes going against the popular vote) are major issues. The '08 presidential election is turning into a joke. There is a chance New Hamsphire's Primary could be in December. The Iowa GOP caucus has already moved up to the Jan 3rd. This election started in November of 2006 and how can any of the candidates running honestly say they have paid attention to their legislative responsibilities in 2007. You would think that what this emphasis on campaigning people would know the issues and that the candidate with the best stances would win. Unfortunately NO! Thats not the case at all. Each candidate is completely coached and focused on what to say to help them win the states that are targeted. It doesn't matter if the policy is the best one, they just worry about saying and doing what they need to in order to remain in office or to get elected to one. Unfortunately part of the reason it is this way is because the electoral college is outdated. While I am not in favor of abandoning it (i think that the result would be an emphasis solely on the densely populated states and ignoring issues of states with lower population) I do believe that the winner of the popluar vote should get a certain amount of electoral votes added to his total. This would keep the issues of the smaller states relevant while giving candidates a greater incentive for winning the popular vote. Also this could make if more difficult for the loser of the popular vote to become president. I'm sure that there are probably still some flaws with this idea but hey its worth a try. At the rate where going, can the election process really get any worse?

[mirm90]

I believe we should throw out the whole electoral college. It was started because the educated were afraid of placing too much power in the hands of the uneducated masses. I believe there is not a huge uneducated mass that actually bothers to vote.

[creativename]

I believe we should throw out the whole electoral college. It was started because the educated were afraid of placing too much power in the hands of the uneducated masses. I believe there is not a huge uneducated mass that actually bothers to vote.

We should keep it. The electoral college helps assure that the election is not decided solely by the big states, as it inflates the votes from small states. We do not want a tyranny of the majority.

[chelle j]

The whole 'electronic' voting can be tampered with I do not trust it.
I like the paper ballots, what i HATE is the fact that on some issues you don't know wheather your yes is yes or your yes is no.
The winding questions....I think that is wrong. I want my vote to count, and if you go to certian sites they will sway your vote for their purpous, which might not be mine.

[nobody]

I have been thinking and wishing for exactly the way to "replace" or "fix" the so-called "representative" system for years and years.
America has been called "the great experiment": a true democracy? Not yet, but we are on our way. In a true democracy, one qualified person should equal one qualified vote.
Advances in technology finally present all of us with the opportunity to bring the "experiment" to its fruition.
Are we so afraid of what a true democracy can do?
WE have the capability to rebuild it and show the world and ourselves what a people can accomplish, directly -- each individual can now speak, not just on elections, but on the whole range of governance topics.
Simply and straightforward, to start with for example, a partnership between the Post Office and Google could form the "backbone" of a computerized voting system:
Registering, Verifying and Receiving Votes from, for and by qualified Voters. Even more basic, since Postal Carriers visit every address, Carriers could bring hand-held communication (much like UPS has done for years) -- and you trust them with your signature!!
If you start thinking in terms of the capabilities available, imagine down the road...
instead of paid non-trained "representatives" making decisions for us, less costly "advocates" who may advise and deliver information specific to issues so WE can each achieve an educated opinion.
What a wonderful world I see...if we just trust one another...if we are willing to take the next step: for democracy.