West Wing Fantasy Camp: Things I'd Like to See Under a New Administration - #5

#5: Poll Meets Body

This November, we will stand up and be counted. Though we often speak of our Democratic values, and though we live in a Democracy, our nation is a Republic. Though rule is by the will of the people, the people rarely get to make decisions directly. Most of the time, those decisions are made by the elected representatives of the people, who are devoted to doing the work of the people in their stead while the people live their lives. It is a noble system, and though flawed, has seen no greater alternative in the modern world.

Since the people are not voting on every bill, every act, every decision, it is vitally important that their votes for candidates be counted accurately because the winner of the election will essentially hold the voting power of all their constituents for a number of years. Unfortunately, even in our great democratic republic, voting irregularities happen far too frequently, as well documented in the 2000 Presidential election, and to a lesser extent in the 2004 Presidential election and other state and local elections. After those problems arose, several actions were taken to improve the system nationwide, including the passage of the Help America Vote Act in 2002. Of course, problems still exist and it is vitally important that this issue not be forgotten, because even though we face war, economic strife, global climate change, and other serious issues, all of those issues are affected by the outcomes of our elections.

In the Presidential election of 2000, had the Supreme Court not put a stop to the recount in Florida, Al Gore would have become President, and the state of our nation and global affairs would be vastly different. Regardless of politics, though, the more troubling affect of this problem is that even if the will of the people is done and the right candidate wins, voting irregularities call into question the legitimacy of our elected officials and thus create divisions in our society and corresponding instability. If people believe our elections are rigged or manipulated, it destroys faith in the system, discourages voter turnout, and adversely affects the health of our democracy.

If our nation is truly to be of the people, by the people, and for the people, then surely it is necessary that we make sure the people are involved and accurately represented. At present only around 70 percent of eligible voters are even registered to vote, and often these numbers are disproportionate based on age, race, and region. The number one priority should be to get more people involved in our democracy. The so-called Moter Voter bill helped to make voter registration easier for many Americans, but more should be done, including voter registration drives, voter education campaigns, and actively going into schools and communities to register voters. In addition, there should be greater efforts on the part of communities to inform voters of when and where elections take place, and provide non-partisan information on the candidates running and the process of voting. If we can get millions of people to a blockbuster movie on opening day with ads a year in advance, surely we can get them to their local polling place for a few minutes on election day.

Despite 70 percent of eligible voters being registered, only approximately 45-65 percent of eligible voters turn up to vote, with midterm elections and local elections attracting far fewer voters than Presidential elections. That means that if a candidate wins with 51 percent of the vote, they only have the confirmed support of 25-30 percent of the adult population. That’s not a mandate or rule by the majority, it is hardly even a victory. Not only do people need to be informed about elections and encouraged to go, but obstacles to their voting need to be removed. Many people are discouraged by having to wait in long lines at their polling places for an hour or more due to a shortage of voting machines and qualified personnel. Some people lack transportation to their polling place. Both of these problems can be remedied through drives for volunteers, and through an investment in in election infrastructure. Employers should also be encouraged to give employees paid time off to vote during the work day.

Its not simply a matter of getting more people out to vote, though. Each state and each precinct may follow slightly different protocols and use different voting equipment. Voter databases often contain errors, and don’t always track when people move or when felons return to society and are supposed to have their voting rights restored. Some ballots have a confusing or misleading layout, while many electronic voting methods have security flaws or lack a meaningful method for recounts. Add to this the confusion caused by early voting which often means that those voting early are basing their choice on more limited information than those voting on election day, and the fact that absentee ballots are more likely to be tampered with, can be lost in transit, and in some precincts are not even counted unless a recount is ordered or election results are narrow.

There needs to be a nationwide move to overhaul the system, making sure that all precincts have enough equipment and equipment of the highest caliber. There also needs to be better fraud prevention and election monitoring, and greater standardization of how elections are run in each state so that a person voting in Alabama has the same ease and security as a person voting in Washington state, and that all votes are equally accurate. On top of this, its necessary to discourage fraud by actively investigating and prosecuting it when it happens. All of this seems like common sense, and yet it is not being aggressively pursued, and the health of our democracy is suffering for it.

First and foremost, we must have a system for elections that is beyond reproach. We must then inform our citizenry through every means we have, in every medium, and with regularity on everything from how to register, how to vote, and when votes are scheduled. At school, at work, and in the public sphere, people should be encouraged to follow election politics and make the effort to inform themselves and go vote. There should be an easily accessible and nationwide voter database regularly updated so that no one who is eligible is ever prevented from voting, and so that when they arrive at their polling place they are able to do so with no difficulty. Each polling place should have the most secure and accurate voting machines available, and enough to meet the needs of their populace, so that lines are short and waits minimal, allowing people to vote at their leisure during their busy lives. They should be encouraged to vote in person on election day unless absolutely necessary to vote absentee, and then those votes need to be counted and protected from fraud. Additionally, there must be election monitors and trained personnel at every polling place to ensure everything is handled properly and efficiently, and if any irregularities appear or dirty tactics are used to discourage people from voting, they need to be aggressively investigated.

All of this will require money, dedicated people, and the leadership of a new President, untainted by shady politics. None of this is beyond our capability, and if we truly wish to model Democracy for the rest of the world, this is where it must begin.