Makes you stop and think

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I had to answer an email from an Iranian friend in California today. He asked a few simple things:
HI STACY,
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE ELECTION.
WHAT IS CAUCUS?
WHO ELECTS THEM?
WHERE DOES ELECTORAL VOTE COMES FROM?
WHAT KIND OF DEMOCRACY IS IT WHEN BETWEEN ELECTORAL VOTE AND POPULAR VOTE THE FORMER CAN WIN.
THANKS A BUNCH AND SAY HI TO THE LADY.
DAVAR
I wrote him a nice long email explaining the entire process and when it was done, looked at it closely ( BTW, Davar is very intelligent and educated). To a foreigner, the electoral college system ( as well as a lot of other parts of our election system) must at times (like the last election) look ridiculous. I know we have one of the best systems in the world, but a child can see that the 230 year old system we are using is ready for an update. I normally stay out of politics. But I can't be the only one who sees this (beside Al Gore).
Stacy

If you don't know how strange it is, here is a simple(?) explanation of the EC.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Electoral_College
The part about the 41 day wait and the "First Monday after the Second Wednesday" really gets me.
Honestly, how many of you actually KNEW that the president wasn't elected on the First Tuesday after the First Monday in November.

 

[Justin.Mercier]

Unfortunately we are in need of an update to some of our election laws. The electoral college was set up when there was no mass media or a way to have a (semi)educated voting public, and it made sense then. Unfortunately that's not the way of things these days. Some other election laws need updating and changing as well. For example we should require that ANY electronic voting machine used in the US leave a verifiable paper trail and record of votes.

There is no federal voting law (it got shot down in the republican controlled congress) which leaves it up to states, but only 16 states have laws on the book requiring manual audits and paper trails from electronic voting machines. An additional 14 require 'some sort' of paper trail but there's no audit requirement to be able to confirm what comes out is what went in. the other 20 don't require anything.

 

[steelshaper]

I am all for reform but I have to admit that I do not feel our society is up to the challenge of making educated choices. Americans seem to care more about Britney Spears than the war. I am sorry if I sound negative but this is how I feel.
At the same time it would be nice if my vote meant something. It would be cool if the people would stand up and take the power back. Goverment for the people by the people!

 

[WA Martin]

The electoral college was set up to keep one part of the country from shoving something down the throats of everyone else. If you want to see life without an electoral college look at politics in Canada or California.

Quebec pretty much sets the tone for everything in Canada because that's where the vast majority of the people live. Thereby everyone in Alberta and Manitoba and Saskatchewan has to play by Quebec rules as they have the most people.

Same in California. The state is controlled by everyone south of Bakersfield because that's where all the people live.

Sorry, my sore spot , I'll get off my soapbox now...

 

[Dan Gray]

a child can see that the 230 year old system we are using is ready for an update. I normally stay out of politics. But I can't be the only one who sees this (beside Al Gore).
Stacy
.

The trouble is today, you have to have more money than brains to be in politics , so the chance of getting someone smart enough today to place such a change into the works would be a feat in it's self.. they're to busy trying to screw us out of money instead of doing what they are there to do in the first place .. to be a public servant not a self servant, I wish I could just give myself a raze when I have no money to do so... the US can run in the red forever and not go bankrupt , we can't do that,