The US political system is so, so very broken and honestly needs to be built up from scratch.
Voting should be compulsory.
Voting should be accessible.
The bar for entry to run should be much lower and more accessible to people who want to run and make a change.
Preferential voting should be considered.
The people should have veto power over government if there is a vote of no confidence to allow a dissolution of said government and snap elections held to redistribute power in favour of the people.
And so much more. Like getting rid of gerrymandering, electoral college etc. So that the votes actually reflect what the people want. If the country is mostly progressive, then it moves in a progressive direction.
And it shouldn’t be like that at all. The government should be a reflection of all the different voices and perspectives of a nation. That way, not one party of whatever colour holds power and everyone can be more easily held accountable.
There’s room for conservation, to keep things like nature parks the way they are and there’s room for progression such as adapting laws to be emerging tech etc.
Yep. Or at least that’s how much it was 10 years ago when someone I knew didn’t vote and purposefully stayed home. Could be a bit more than that now. I think the money goes to the electoral commission and is redistributed as election funds to parties on the next election. Happy to be corrected on that point, though.
We also have preferential voting, which means there’s more than 100 people to vote for. You can pick your top 12 or number every single one in order of preference. This means that your vote counts for something in the end, so there’s no feeling of having your vote wasted if “your side” isn’t elected.
Technically it’s just that you must show up to a polling location and get your name ticked off, if you really can’t handle voting nobody will know if you drop in blank slips.
If you don’t show up and haven’t done a postal vote you get a letter later on asking whether you had a valid reason to not vote, if you don’t have one then pay the fine.
The US political system is so, so very broken and honestly needs to be built up from scratch.
Voting should be compulsory.
Voting should be accessible.
The bar for entry to run should be much lower and more accessible to people who want to run and make a change.
Preferential voting should be considered.
The people should have veto power over government if there is a vote of no confidence to allow a dissolution of said government and snap elections held to redistribute power in favour of the people.
And so much more. Like getting rid of gerrymandering, electoral college etc. So that the votes actually reflect what the people want. If the country is mostly progressive, then it moves in a progressive direction.
Etc. Etc.
ONE party works towards those things and ONE party does not.
The third party never gets in the room.
And it shouldn’t be like that at all. The government should be a reflection of all the different voices and perspectives of a nation. That way, not one party of whatever colour holds power and everyone can be more easily held accountable.
There’s room for conservation, to keep things like nature parks the way they are and there’s room for progression such as adapting laws to be emerging tech etc.
Absolutely. Progress, as intended.
I can envision how to make voting accessible. I can’t envision how to make it compulsory. Any suggestions?
We get a fine of $50. The purpose is not to punish those who don’t vote but to make the act of voting more palatable.
In Australia, we still get donkey votes and non voters but they’re in the minority, and definitely not in the millions.
So in AU you must vote or it’s a $50 fine?
Yep. Or at least that’s how much it was 10 years ago when someone I knew didn’t vote and purposefully stayed home. Could be a bit more than that now. I think the money goes to the electoral commission and is redistributed as election funds to parties on the next election. Happy to be corrected on that point, though.
We also have preferential voting, which means there’s more than 100 people to vote for. You can pick your top 12 or number every single one in order of preference. This means that your vote counts for something in the end, so there’s no feeling of having your vote wasted if “your side” isn’t elected.
Technically it’s just that you must show up to a polling location and get your name ticked off, if you really can’t handle voting nobody will know if you drop in blank slips.
If you don’t show up and haven’t done a postal vote you get a letter later on asking whether you had a valid reason to not vote, if you don’t have one then pay the fine.
Armed thugs go around and force you to vote at gunpoint.
Make not voting a misdemeanor, fine any registered, eligible voters who don’t cast a ballot whenever there’s an election.