Thread: US Election "Rules"
View Single Post
Old 11-10-2008, 01:08 AM   #36
moz
Addict
moz once ate a cherry pie in a record 7 seconds.moz once ate a cherry pie in a record 7 seconds.moz once ate a cherry pie in a record 7 seconds.moz once ate a cherry pie in a record 7 seconds.moz once ate a cherry pie in a record 7 seconds.moz once ate a cherry pie in a record 7 seconds.moz once ate a cherry pie in a record 7 seconds.moz once ate a cherry pie in a record 7 seconds.moz once ate a cherry pie in a record 7 seconds.moz once ate a cherry pie in a record 7 seconds.moz once ate a cherry pie in a record 7 seconds.
 
moz's Avatar
 
Posts: 370
Karma: 1553
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Melbun
Device: Kobo H2O
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jordan View Post
Of course, to make the system more secure and direct-vote would mean more secure personal identification, and probably a national ID
Why?

In countries where there's a bit of scince behind the electoral system people actually measure voting fraud and base decisions on the results, rather than on the wishful thinking of partisan hacks. The research in anglonesia suggests that even with the negligable voter tracking we have voter fraud is very low. The system allows us to remove duplicate votes ("vote early and vote often") and fake registrations (posting confirmations to the registered address). Odd results are investigated and so on, but overall it does not seem to be a problem. When results are within a percent or less there's a mandatory recount and from time to time the media publish stories about dodgy registrations being detected. People who collection registrations get some training on the issue (it's been 15+ years since I did it).

The system, BTW, is "turn up, state your name and address, vote". Have-a-nice-day-citizen-thank-you-for-voting. Oztraya asks for ID but the options for that ID are many and varied. Kiwis get posted a "speedyvote" card or something that basically is your necessary details typed out on a bit of paper, so that "Therese Bielski of 27/272 Whangapeka(-with-an-H) St, Oututahi" does not have to spend 15 minutes spelling things out before she can be found on the electoral roll. The OZ system of showing ID seems to amount to the same thing (and in both cases I believe you can vote anywhere in the country without ID by signing a statutory declaration. Penalties for false decl. are non-trivial (fine and criminal conviction?)).

Actually, one other nice thing in NZ: if you have to pay tax, you get to vote[1]. I know the US allegedly fought a war on an issue like this and there was a fluffy slogan bandied about, but something that really p!sses me off is that in most countries where voting is de rigeur there are draconian restrictions on *who* exactly gets to vote. Surely it should be the other way round - encourage everyone to vote, open it up as widely as possible and only restrict the minimum necessary groups? Voting should be a responsibility, not a privilege.

[1] children under 18 may not apply, offer not open to the criminally insane.
moz is offline   Reply With Quote