This Space for Realistic & Practical Ideas for Improving Our Elections.

[Philosoraptor]

I'll throw in one of my pet peeves. 12 hours for the whole nation to vote? 12 freekin' hours?

[MissWaverly]

1. I think absentee voting should be done early & processed 1st

this would prevent the GOP from stuffing the ballot boxes as needed after the polls close

[Philosoraptor]

2. Good one. I've voted absentee often.

And as others have pointed out, its not perfect, but it sure is more human than a machine produced by Bush loving phychos. A machine is the easiest and quickest way to steal and vanish votes.

[MissWaverly]

6. i have been thinking about bar codes

they bar code everything, how about Mr./Ms. Voter comes in to vote they are given a barcode sticker, this is scanned by voting machine and then you vote, this would prevent padded votes.

[Philosoraptor]

7. Purple fingers, remember the purple fingers?

Proof you voted in Afghanistan, the republicans all dyed their fingers purple on the hill for a Bush state of the union speech.

Red finger, republican vote, blue finger, democratic vote, and if you're an independent, you stick your finger in peanut butter I guess.

[MissWaverly]

9. Hey, don't laugh

I notice the ballot box in many countries is clear so you can see that it's not pre-stuffed
with ballots

[Philosoraptor]

4. I believe in Australia voting is mandatory for all able adults.

Or be fined on your taxes or something. I hope I'm not spreading an urban rumor, but I think its a good idea. That way, ALL voters would be counted. As it is now, only a tiny percent vote.

Of course, this isn't a perfect idea or solution either.

[Union Thug]

3. Start by banning any private campaign contributions. 100% public funding

and anyone caught taking private donations is thrown out of the running on a conspiracy to defraud the federal gov. felony charge. Mandatory 10 year sentence in a federal pen for offenders.

Secondly, all public officials must sell off interest in any and all business/financial institutions that could bias their judgment. They must live only on public monies during their time in office.


That's where I would start. Not sure if realistic or possible...

[Philosoraptor]

5. Damn straight.

I don't even like the idea of lobbyists. Its realistic, but we'd have to force them to do it by law, and they are the lawmakers.

[MissWaverly]

8. I think we should change to a parliament

where we could have a vote of no confidence, this way there would not be as much motivation
for election fraud. They are still going to go full tilt to block a dem victory, because they
want NO accountability for anything for the last 6 years.

[whistle]

10. I agree polls open at 6:00 am and remain open till 6:00 am the...

...following morning minimum, perhaps even stay open for three days. Also, have the vote take place when the majority of working Americans can get to the polls to exercise their constitutional right to vote, on the weekend, Friday through Sunday! Also, I would like to see the practice of Gerrymandering outlawed. If congressional districts change because of population shifts add or subtract representatives rather than arbitrarily designating hundreds of thousands of people as being assigned to a single representative who has no idea who they are. With 300 million people we should have 3,000 representatives minimum. Finally, regulate lobbyist activities and do not allow lobby money into politics. Limit campaign time to 60 days prior to the elections. Keep politicians in Washington doing the jobs they were sent to Washington to do. Bring back paper ballets and local counting and back-up voter ballots. I can wait three or four days to find out who won the elections.

[Philosoraptor]

11. A whole week to vote, and kill all the lobbyists.

[magellan]

16. I'd vote for that.

But only on a hand-counted paper ballot.

[jerry611]

12. Some problems with that....

One big problem you have is funding. For every hour the polls are open, the city and state is spending money. Another is finding enough volunteers. Right now, it is a real challange for many districts to find enough people to work the polls.

Why Tuesday? No, it's not a conspiracy to stop people from voting... It's just an outdated law. So anyone that tells you that it was just to keep voting turnout down is pushing some anti-government propaganda.

In 1845, the Congress passed a statue that stated that election day will fall on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November. The reason Tuesday was choosen was because back then, that was the day that most people could vote. Saturday was a workday on the farms. Sunday was was for praying and worship of the lord. Monday? The problem was that it took sometimes a day for some people to reach their polling location. They didn't have cars back them, remember? So Monday was considered a travel day. Wednesday was out because it was considered a market day. So it just ended up becoming Tuesday.

[whistle]

18. Create a fair and honest voting process and the help and funding...

...will be there. Voting has historically been and continues to be a highly discriminatory process in the U.S. and is really a disgrace as to how it is being run, check the facts.

[Union Thug]

13. Voting day should be a mandatory paid federal holiday

Oh god forbid that the businesses and corporations in this country should have to allow a day off for their employees to participate in the democratic process that gives the business and corporate class the right to own and operate businesses in the first place!

[Philosoraptor]

14. IF you vote.

Don't want non voters cheating to get the day off.

[MadHound]

15. The most important election reform that we can make IMO

Make every single election, from dogcatcher to president, publicly funded. Each candidate gets X amount of money to run their campaign, X amount of free air time and print space, and X amount of time to run their campaign in(say six months) If you want to get corporate money and influence out of govnernment, and return our government to we the people, then take the money equation out of elections via publicly funded elections.

Until we do this, our elected officials will continue to pay attention to their real constituents first and foremost, their corporate donors.

[Philosoraptor]

17. Lonely kick