Nobody pretends that democracy is perfect or at all wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.
Winston Churchill
November 11, 1947
Prof. Douglas Jones of the University of Iowa computer department presents a very nice Brief Illustrated History of Voting for those who would like additional background.
Not too long ago we had a nice, simple election system and it worked. Citizens went to the county clerk's office in person, proved they lived at a particular location and were citizens of the state and the United States, and registered to vote. The county clerk then duly entered their name in a precinct poll book.
On election day good citizens went to their local precinct, again in person. When their names and addresses matched what citizen election judges had marked in the poll book, they were given a paper ballot that contained only the races and candidates applicable to that precinct and only local issues that the citizen was eligible to vote on based on where they lived. For example, county residents did not get to vote on issues or candidates for a city election.
In a private booth the good citizen marked his or her paper ballot in secret, free from any intimidation or observation by anyone as thousands of years of experience had taught us was necessary for a democratic election.
When the citizen finished marking the ballot by hand, any stub or other means of identifying the ballot needed by the county clerk for tracking ballots, was removed by an election judge without looking at the ballot, which was usually covered by a secrecy sleeve or folded. Blind or infirm citizens were helped to vote by citizen election judges to the extent necessary.
http://www.ejfi.org/Voting/Voting-73.htm#wayAll we have to do is keep fighting for it.
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
