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On a purely systemic note, the first-past-the-post US voting system would benefit immensely from ranked voting, which in most forms makes it impossible to waste
by strken 5y ago
On a purely systemic note, the first-past-the-post US voting system would benefit immensely from ranked voting, which in most forms makes it impossible to waste your vote if you choose a minor candidate.
As an Australian, I also think mandatory voting would fix other problems with the US electoral system, like perceived voter fraud (since most of the population votes, to cast a vote as someone else is harder and more easily detected), access to polling places (since it's a more obvious and immediate injustice to fine someone for not voting at a polling place with a three hour line than to merely deny them a vote), and the election of presidents who didn't have anything close to a majority of the population voting for them. Mandatory voting is much more controversial than ranked voting when I bring it up with Americans, though, and a less important fix.
- koheripbal 5y agoI honestly think almost any other form is better than FPTP. The Parliamentary system, the instant runoff, ranked voted, etc... I support anything that we can most easily convince the people to accept the change.
- jfengel 5y agoThe "perception" of voter fraud in the US is itself entirely a fraud, created to allow rules that make voting harder. Mechanisms like mandatory voting and greater access to polling places (and holidays on voting day) are exactly the opposite of what is desired by those talking about voter fraud. So while there is much talk of voter fraud, those options are always off the table. Voter fraud just isn't a significant thing in the US. The perception of it won't be fixed by dealing with voter fraud, one way or the other. Unfortunately, that means that the real problem is much harder. It's a combination of authoritarianism, partisanship, and xenophobia, deliberately exacerbated both within and without. We don't get to spend much effort on the genuine issues because we're too suspicious of each other, and spend all of our time fighting about non-issues.
- TheAdamAndChe 5y agoPerception is everything in a society. Police can't be everywhere, and the stability of the system is maintained by everyone accepting the legitimacy of a certain political structure. There may not actually be fraud, but strengthening the election system wouldn't hurt, and it would calm those who think there is and help stabilize the system during a tumultuous time in our country's history.
- falkd 5y agoStrengthening the system can hurt though, if it discourages people from voting in the name of security. And putting in stricter voting controls will not stop people from crying foul. These people aren't working off the facts in the first place, so what difference would it make? If their people don't win they'll call it rigged. If these laws don't give them the result they want, they'll continue to claim fraud until they get enough of an advantage to ensure victory.
- TheAdamAndChe 5y agoCommon sense reforms like voter ID laws and paper ballots don't discourage people from voting. They are commonly used in most functioning democracies around the world.
- jfengel 5y agoAnd common sense reforms like longer hours and more polling places? Those are also used in most functioning democracies, but bills for voter ID nearly always do precisely the opposite, e.g.: https://www.texastribune.org/2021/05/29/texas-voting-restrictions-bill/ https://www.texastribune.org/2021/05/29/texas-voting-restric... It creates the perception that it has nothing to do with ensuring the quality of the vote at all.
- TheAdamAndChe 5y agoWhat you say is true. It's also not what I suggested. With anything political, you can almost always find politicians contorting them for their own benefit. That doesn't mean the underlying concept is bad, only the contortion is bad.
- anotherevan 5y agoConsistent nation-wide laws around voting are also pretty good. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Electoral_Commission https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Electoral_Commissio...