When it comes to voting for the leader of our country, let us be a true democracy.
It's time.
The founding fathers were plutocrats and didn't want ignorant peasants participating in the process. Only the white, male and wealthy received an education. Only the white and male and landowners could vote-- to exclude the uneducated white males from the equation. (great book--White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America)
It's why we have a representative democracy--the senate and house of representatives, and its why we have an Electoral College.
One time, the Electoral College completely ignored the popular vote and put John Quincy Adams in the White House instead of the popular vote winner--Andrew Jackson.
John Quincy was not popular because he was not populist.
Andrew Jackson was the President after him, and he was a popular war hero and a man of the people with little to no formal education. He was pro-slavery and gave us the "Trail of Tears". He also gave us the Democratic Party. (remember, Lincoln was a Republican and Jackson started the Democrats--my oh my how things have changed)
https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/andrew-jackson
But enough about that.
The Electoral College is now what determines the President. Currently, when I vote for a president/vice president, I'm actually voting on my states electoral college representative. That representative is expected to vote for the candidate that won the state. My state has 7 electoral representatives. It doesn't matter if the the winner of the state vote won by 1 vote, all 7 votes go to the same person. So those that voted for a candidate that lost by one vote are silenced. There is no apportioning and not districts, one state votes one way according to the number determined by the constitution.
We have 7 because we have 2 Senators and 5 representatives. The state determined that it was winner take all. Nebraska has 2 senators and 3 representatives and has an 5 different possible votes-[Nebraska awards its electoral votes differently than most other states: Two electoral votes will be awarded to the statewide winner, and then one electoral vote will be awarded to the winner in each Congressional district in Nebraska (there are three).]
https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/electoral-college
Colorado is currently seeking to have a state Popular Vote and because the constitution states this is a state function, they can do that. I'm not sure how that works with the rest using electors.
When everyone gets to choose the President directly, that is being referred to as Popular Vote. I prefer to call it a direct democracy. I also think it would be very popular.
Currently, every state gets 2 votes on top of their allotment based on population. So Alaska, Montana,Wyoming, North and South Dakota, DC, Vermont and Delaware should only get 1 vote while California, Texas and New York would get 53, 36 and 27. The plus 2 increases the value of a vote in small states and decreases the value of the vote in large states. Why should the vote of a person in one of the small states count three times while a person in california counts less than once.
Why should a state with 45% Republicans, 15% independents and 40% Democrats be counted as all Republican?
Why did the strongest showing by a third party candidate, Ross Perot with 18.9% garner not one electoral vote? Why has no third party candidate ever received an electoral vote?
I am One Person and I have One Vote. My vote should count the same as every other person in the country.
Every Citizen should be automatically registered to vote at 18. And Yes, even those that went to Prison should be able to vote--even if they are still in prison. Our system is so flawed that we allow those that have evaded criminal charges to vote but those that are paying or paid for their crimes are banned.
There should be nothing that should stop a person from being able to vote. We need to make it automatically hooked to their Social Security number.
And, their needs to be an Amendment to the constitution that fixes all the pre-electricity, pre-internet, pre-public education, pre-abolition problems that led to the original method of voting for our President.
The only time we have a national vote is when we vote for the President/Vice President. That entire process needs to be addressed. Primaries should not be held by parties but by ranked voting with all candidates in a single vote. Let us Pick our Top Two. That includes not just democrats and republicans in the same primary but also green party, democratic socialists, libertarians, and independents. Our top two political parties are very over-empowered.
TOP TWO ranked voting with every person in every state's vote counting equally.
Then, after further campaigning, those top two candidates will be in a direct election with direct vote counting so that every vote is again equal.
Everyone in Wyoming is not a Republican. Everyone in my state is not a Republican. Everyone in California, New York and Texas is not a democrat.
Everyone has an equal vote.
Which brings us to Citizens United and Campaign Money.
Every Candidate should also have an equal chance.
My vote is not for sale. So why are SuperPacs and big money donors trying to pay for the election of candidates.
Every primary candidate should be allowed so much money and airtime. There should be no donated funds. There should be total transparency about the funding and a single oversight entity that ensures the bookkeeping for all the candidates.
After the single primary election, the top two are provided with three debate opportunities, and funds to visit every state once plus free equal time on media.
That is it. This endless fundraising is ridiculous and offensive.
Now Vote!
