How would you fix elections?

[508mikey]

The candidates need replacing, no sense in wasting time trying to fix them.

no other GOP wants the job

 

[mr.checkerboards]

Particularly presidential elections as I am sure there are plenty of one off situations that make individual local elections a mess.

1. Get rid of the parties. Making candidates run on their own merits would be huge. You would no longer have people defending people they have issues with based on a letter.
2. Any voter purging/district redefining has to happen at least 1 year ahead of the election date. This would hopefully allow for any corrections.
3. Voter ID. With literally every other government interaction requires an ID I see no reason voting shouldnt either. But this should allow for non physical voting. There has to be at least some check so the Russians cant just bombard the system.
4. Complete separation from past job, whether private or public. Way too many ways to influence things improperly as it is. This starts from whenever you announce or show up on a ballot, to when you drop out, or at the end of your turn.
5. Keep the electoral system, non faithful electors are allowed, and states EC votes get divided based on popular vote. Not winner takes all. Like Maine and Nebraska.
6. If we keep parties have open primaries. Rs and Ds primary against each other. The final two from any combination of those parties go to the general. This would limit how much these candidates have to chase the party extremes before trying to get back to the moderate stances in the general.

What does everybody else think needs fixing?

1. Perfect Idea, the candidates should run on what they are the best at, not some bland cookie cutter platform their party tells them to run on.
2. Good idea
3. I think in the best possible capacity mail in voting needs to in. Too easy to lose votes that way. Even if it means having people come to elders houses and assisting them with voting online of something.
4. Agreed too many personal interests get in the way on both sides.
5. EC needs to stay if not. CA, FL, TX which ever side gets 2 of those 3 states will probably be guaranteed the election win
6. This is my favorite. Even if said party has the sitting president they should be required to present an alternate candidate. Lets say this run off begins 1 year before the general election give candidates that time to run and secure the nomination. End that the Novembers before the election and then run the normal election cycle.
7. Stricter term limits on seats in Washington. Like we have a limit on how many terms a person can server as president there should be a limit on how many years a person can hold federal office. Lets say a person can only hold a seat in congress, House of Rep, Supreme Court for a total of 15 years before not being allowed to run again. This would get fresh faces and ideas in at every level of government. As well as enact better change because now the ones voting for stuff aren't protected theyre going to have to deal with the crap they put in place.
8. Congress should not be allowed to vote on their own pay raises etc... Their job is to take care of the people, if they want a raise it should be voted on by the American people just like a general election. Also if there is a shutdown due to budget congress should not get paid. See how fast they get stuff fixed then.

 

[NorthDallas40]

I'd include a "None of the Above" candidate. If "None of the Above" get 50% or more of the vote, none of the candidates are permitted to run for that office for X years.
IMO it would force candidates to give me a reason to vote for them rather than a reason to vote against their opponent.

Oh wow I do like that. Basically force an affirmative vote for a candidate or cast the lot out. I could see many Green Party or libertarians using that vote an in the current election cycle it would clearly win out.

 

[mr.checkerboards]

I'd include a "None of the Above" candidate. If "None of the Above" get 50% or more of the vote, none of the candidates are permitted to run for that office for X years.
IMO it would force candidates to give me a reason to vote for them rather than a reason to vote against their opponent.

I like the idea, but what happens when no candidate gets enough required votes. Does the sitting person in said position keep their position. Is there another election with new candidates? How long would new candidates get to pitch their ideas before voting?

 

[tvolsfan]

I would be interested in ranked choice voting.

 

[Wireless1]

I like the idea, but what happens when no candidate gets enough required votes. Does the sitting person in said position keep their position. Is there another election with new candidates? How long would new candidates get to pitch their ideas before voting?

I doubt that it'd ever happen other than when running unopposed.... in which case the office would be filled as if the incumbent was required to leave office mid term.
If you'd lose to none of the above your polling should tell you before election day.
Today with Biden versus Trump IMO None of the Above would get 50% or more with the current campaigns. One or both would start running on why to vote for them rather than why not to vote for the other......or the parties would find a candidate.

 

[Septic]

It keeps the EC, but allows the popular to matter more. But not be true popular vote.

It gets a bit funky at the smaller EC states. As there will always be rounding. But in my system it would round up in favor of the popular vote winner. So if you won 75.1% of the vote in a 4 EC state you would get all 4. Win 74.9% and you get 3. Once you get to the larger states you dont get nearly as much rounding.

I've been saying this for a while, winner takes all is awful.

 

[midnight orange]

You don’t fix nothing, you keep the constitution the way it’s!

Everything that is going now has been under the auspices of the Constitution.

 

[hog88]

Everything that is going now has been under the auspices of the Constitution.

Bingo! Even if the majority of the suggestions in this thread were adopted we'd be back where we are in 20/25 years. Gotta change who is eligible to vote for any meaningful and lasting change to happen.

 

[mr.checkerboards]

Bingo! Even if the majority of the suggestions in this thread were adopted we'd be back where we are in 20/25 years. Gotta change who is eligible to vote for any meaningful and lasting change to happen.

Double Bingo. How would anyone actually get these implemented. Those who are in power now aren't going to do anything to give it up. And getting congress to give up their paychecks, healthcare, and pensions you'd have a better chance of seeing a dinosaur.

 

[Septic]

I think a high school diploma and a copy of your W-2/K-2 should be on the table for eligibility to vote.

 

[Orange defense]

Everything that is going now has been under the auspices of the Constitution.

Yea, if you lose one thing in the constitution, then we lose everything.

 

[volfanhill]

Just allow me to pick the winners

 

[Septic]

Yea, if you lose one thing in the constitution, then we lose everything.

And yet you support a guy that's attempted to wipe his ass with it.

The intellectual gymnastics that you must engage in to reconcile his actions and words are professional level.

 

[Orange defense]

And yet you support a guy that's attempted to wipe his ass with it.

The intellectual gymnastics that you must engage in to reconcile his actions and words are professional level.

Septic, this don’t even make sense. If you’re talking about Trump, he is for the constitution. AMERICA 1st, not second!

 

[Boston Vol]

If you’re talking about Trump, he is for the constitution. AMERICA 1st, not second!

 

[LouderVol]

All of you miss the only real way to fix elections. That is to fix who can vote in them.

No matter what you do, eliminate parties, keep/scrap the EC, term limits it doesn't matter as long as you keep allowing people who have no real vested interest in this county to vote.

Once you start choosing who can vote and not you have created a class system. No thank you. It just adds another layer of self serving while ignoring even more of the country.

And then once the government has the ability to choose who can vote you will have the two extremes lopping off groups they dont like.

 

[GoBigOrangeUT]

Septic, this don’t even make sense. If you’re talking about Trump, he is for the constitution. AMERICA 1st, not second!

Yikes. This is pure partisan delusion.

 

[LouderVol]

So what are the constitutional requirements on the EC now with regard to vote distribution? None. Only the allocation amount. What you are proposing is actually forcing more federal pressure on states. That’s wrong as far as I’m concerned. Electors are free now to vote as they please. They just have to be willing to accept the consequences imposed by the entity which appointed them. The state.

How is it more pressure?

And there is no Constitutional reason for unfaithful electors to be punished. I would rather protect their individual rights than a governments ability to pick winners and losers.

If they are bound to the states choice why even bother? What purpose do they serve if they are punished for anything but what they are told. They are there to be separate from the masses who know nothing and the government which is self serving.

 

[LouderVol]

I like the idea, but what happens when no candidate gets enough required votes. Does the sitting person in said position keep their position. Is there another election with new candidates? How long would new candidates get to pitch their ideas before voting?

I think that is in the primary voting. Then once two are chosen the people have to vote. They can veto, but only at the primary.

 

[NorthDallas40]

How is it more pressure?

And there is no Constitutional reason for unfaithful electors to be punished. I would rather protect their individual rights than a governments ability to pick winners and losers.

If they are bound to the states choice why even bother? What purpose do they serve if they are punished for anything but what they are told. They are there to be separate from the masses who know nothing and the government which is self serving.

It’s Feds sticking their nose in the states business. All that’s called out at the federal level is how many electors they get.

The electors represent their constituents. The states. This is where we diverge. You believe their constituents are the people. They are not. The electors represent the state. As far as I’m concerned there should be 50 EC votes if we are a republic of equals. I realize I won’t ever get my way on that either. Look at how are government is formed the upper house of Congress with the longest terms has equal representation for the Republics members. The states, not the people. It’s up to the governors to manage their people. We are a federalist organized government which distributes the power to regional districts. For us that’s the states.

 

[marcusluvsvols]

Yikes. This is pure partisan delusion.

I am not a big Trump fan, but to say he doesnt try to put the US and our democracy, capitalism, and way of life 1st is straight up bullsheit.

He didnt need the money or the fame of being the potus, either. He was already an arrogant rich blowhard like all presidents are.

He has taken a stand against China and Korea and their assault on our way of life since the 1st day in office..after the last 20 years of getting bent over by them continually. Hell Hussein let Nkorea get nukes for Pete's sake. Smdh...

Now the alternative to Trump however, is a party that openly embraces socialism(communism stage1) which was totally unthinkable...and sure political suicide...just 10 years ago. Remember the cold war? Yeah, that same failed ideology is entrenched in the Dimwit platform now, and they openly say brilliant things like "death to Capitalism " and "defund the police". Sad...

Unbelievable. Is Trump a blowhard azzhole?? SURE HE IS. But what is the alternative? A bunch of rioting, looting, burning socialists that OPENLY speak of destroying the foundations of our Country??? What??? Kneeling, pandering, cancel culture, social justice warrior, soy boy effeminate, opposed to the nuclear family, racist race baiters, that have been COMPLETE failures from the top down!!!!

Look at all the PROBLEM cities in the US!!! Every. Single. One. Of them is a Dimwit stronghold... LA, DC, NYC, Minneapolis...absolute SHEITHOLES with the highest crime rates and lowest academics , all the riots and looting...every single 1 of them has a Dem mayor, Dem DA, Dem Governor, Dem senators ....all Democrats!!!! The whole states!!! But they try to blame TRUMP for their sheitholes and failures in every meaningful way Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahanaha.....

Liberalism is a mental disorder.

Period. Your mind has to be absolutely trashed to look at failure after failure after failure....with NO success stories...and think to yourself. " THIS seems like a GREAT idea." I want to live in a sheithole like Baltimore where 1% of HS grads passed the super basic math proficiency test (doesnt even go past algebra...my kids and I aced that at 13yo) or I want to live in sheithole like Chicago...18 murders on Sunday. 40 shootings per weekend year round... I want to live in LA/San fran...where people sheit and leave needles all over the streets so special crews TRY and fail to pick them all up... Do we need to go on??? Really??? The Dimwits have totally effed up everything they have ever touched, but let's give THEM control over this country. Great idea...

Liberalism is a mental disorder. Period.

You guys that waste all your breath crapping on Trump amaze me. PLEASE put up a candidate that isnt bat sheit crazy then and give us a viable alternative. 1st change your platform and get rid of the crazies...then run a red blooded American and you will win in a landslide. Or move to Venezuela and take all your like minded friends with you. You don't get to destroy the greatest nation in Earths history just to try a garbage ideology that has failed miserably EVERY TIME it has been implemented. Morons.

 

[GoBigOrangeUT]

I am not a big Trump fan, but to say he doesnt try to put the US and our democracy, capitalism, and way of life 1st is straight up bullsheit.

He didnt need the money or the fame of being the potus, either. He was already an arrogant rich blowhard like all presidents are.

He has taken a stand against China and Korea and their assault on our way of life since the 1st day in office..after the last 20 years of getting bent over by them continually. Hell Hussein let Nkorea get nukes for Pete's sake. Smdh...

Now the alternative to Trump however, is a party that openly embraces socialism(communism stage1) which was totally unthinkable...and sure political suicide...just 10 years ago. Remember the cold war? Yeah, that same failed ideology is entrenched in the Dimwit platform now, and they openly say brilliant things like "death to Capitalism " and "defund the police". Sad...

Unbelievable. Is Trump a blowhard azzhole?? SURE HE IS. But what is the alternative? A bunch of rioting, looting, burning socialists that OPENLY speak of destroying the foundations of our Country??? What??? Kneeling, pandering, cancel culture, social justice warrior, soy boy effeminate, opposed to the nuclear family, racist race baiters, that have been COMPLETE failures from the top down!!!!

Look at all the PROBLEM cities in the US!!! Every. Single. One. Of them is a Dimwit stronghold... LA, DC, NYC, Minneapolis...absolute SHEITHOLES with the highest crime rates and lowest academics , all the riots and looting...every single 1 of them has a Dem mayor, Dem DA, Dem Governor, Dem senators ....all Democrats!!!! The whole states!!! But they try to blame TRUMP for their sheitholes and failures in every meaningful way Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahanaha.....

Liberalism is a mental disorder.

Period. Your mind has to be absolutely trashed to look at failure after failure after failure....with NO success stories...and think to yourself. " THIS seems like a GREAT idea." I want to live in a sheithole like Baltimore where 1% of HS grads passed the super basic math proficiency test (doesnt even go past algebra...my kids and I aced that at 13yo) or I want to live in sheithole like Chicago...18 murders on Sunday. 40 shootings per weekend year round... I want to live in LA/San fran...where people sheit and leave needles all over the streets so special crews TRY and fail to pick them all up... Do we need to go on??? Really??? The Dimwits have totally effed up everything they have ever touched, but let's give THEM control over this country. Great idea...

Liberalism is a mental disorder. Period.

You guys that waste all your breath crapping on Trump amaze me. PLEASE put up a candidate that isnt bat sheit crazy then and give us a viable alternative. 1st change your platform and get rid of the crazies...then run a red blooded American and you will win in a landslide. Or move to Venezuela and take all your like minded friends with you. You don't get to destroy the greatest nation in Earths history just to try a garbage ideology that has failed miserably EVERY TIME it has been implemented. Morons.

Trump puts himself first, not the country. Any way that he can either A) make money or B) Inflate his ego is what he does.

 

[LouderVol]

It’s Feds sticking their nose in the states business. All that’s called out at the federal level is how many electors they get.

The electors represent their constituents. The states. This is where we diverge. You believe their constituents are the people. They are not. The electors represent the state. As far as I’m concerned there should be 50 EC votes if we are a republic of equals. I realize I won’t ever get my way on that either. Look at how are government is formed the upper house of Congress with the longest terms has equal representation for the Republics members. The states, not the people. It’s up to the governors to manage their people. We are a federalist organized government which distributes the power to regional districts. For us that’s the states.

The constitution is a set of laws that limit the government not the people. "Shall not be infringed upon" and the like. So yes I will take people over the state.

 

[NorthDallas40]

The constitution is a set of laws that limit the government not the people. "Shall not be infringed upon" and the like. So yes I will take people over the state.

Fair enough. However in this case you’re advocating for the Feds to interject their business in state’s issues. All that is required is allocation of elector amounts. How the states bind those electors is their business and the constitution is quiet on that matter and that’s not an accident. States rights is another sticking point after all.