Cardcheck goes national.
The author is an idiot.
Posted on 06/26/2012 3:45:45 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
For the United States’ first century, Americans elected their leaders in full view of their neighbors, gathering on courthouse steps to announce their votes orally or hand a distinctive preprinted ballot or unfolded marked paper to a clerk. Such a public process made elections ripe for bribes and threats, although the scene around American polling places never matched Australia’s, where a population of criminals and goldbugs made electoral intimidation something of a democratic pastime. To end such shenanigans, each of Australia’s colonies began shifting to a secret ballot during the 1850s, and in 1872 England followed suit.
A decade and a half later, the reform crossed the Atlantic. Louisville, Kentucky, enacted a so-called Australian ballot in 1888, and 32 states did the same by 1892—over the objections of machine politicians. By the turn of the century, most of the country had changed the public spectacle of Election Day into a solemn occasion for curtained isolation. This shift coincided with a dramatic drop in turnout rates, from nearly 80 percent of the eligible population in 1896—which had been typical for the era—to 65 percent eight years later.
They have never recovered, falling to around 50 percent in 1996.
As modern civic activists have tried to increase turnout, their focus has been on reducing the hassle of participation. The most-successful reforms of the past decade, however—early in-person voting, “no excuse” absentee ballots, elections entirely by mail—appear not to have lured new people to the polls so much as merely made it more convenient for regular voters to cast their ballots.
What actually works is mimicking some part of the 19th century’s surveillance culture. The most effective tool for turning nonvoters into voters—10 times better than the typical piece of preelection mail, according to a 2006 Michigan experiment—is a threat to send neighbors
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
Thanks afraidfortherepublic.
this is how zer0 got nominated in Iowa and never looked back. like the stupid caucuses where the individual lost out to group mentality which resulted in “we are required to vote for the Black Man” groupthink...
no, Atlantic ‘Commie’ Monthly, .....America is about Rugged Individualism....not the commune mentality.
Cardcheck goes national.
The author is an idiot.
Reminds me of card check.
New England town government is by town meeting, in all six New England states. You vote by raising your hand, your vote is counted by a “teller”, a vote counter, who enumerates the number of hands he (or she) sees raised for yea, or nay. Turn out tends to light and special interest groups dominate.
That’s how Concord, MA, voted to ban the sale of bottled water in containers smaller than one liter.
This is a threat....pure and simple.
I always make a point to tell them exactly how I voted, against every liberal running and every property tax millage.
Oregon’s all mail-in. The secret ballot is long gone. I now hear from friends about ‘parties’ where the ticket is a properly filled out ballot. They verify the ballot, take it from you, and then mail it in. You get to enjoy a nice lunch for your effort.
The liberals are almost where they want to be.
Need a ride to the polls, comrade?
They do that in Wisconsin to set school district budgets. Hardly anybody knows that it is happening. When I go to those meetings, I see District personnel taking head counts, and suddenly an influx of people shows up just before the vote is taken. The School District always get their tax increase. The last couple of meetings I’ve attended, they don’t even ask for ID. The room is filled with teachers and students. They just count the show of hands.
At the last election we managed to get a couple out “outsiders” elected. Methinks things will change. At least our folks are going to try asking those atending to prove that they live within the district and are over 18.
I am not voting for him either... action... reaction.
LLS
The article refers to political corruption caused by “criminals and goldbugs.”
A goldbug is an old term for a believer in hard money via the gold standard. How does this corrupt elections? Obvious prejudice or ignorance by the author!
One could better argue that the free silver movement, advocating inflationism, was much more demagogic, band therefore much more corrupting.
The article refers to political corruption caused by “criminals and goldbugs.”
A goldbug is an old term for a believer in hard money via the gold standard. How does this corrupt elections? Obvious prejudice or ignorance by the author!
One could better argue that the free silver movement, advocating inflationism, was much more demagogic, band therefore much more corrupting.
The author mentions the Australian (or secret) ballot, but does not mention that today in Australia people are fined for not voting.
This would not work in the US, because we would not collect the fines. It would not be worth it to track down all the no-shows.
Not voting is as much a freedom as voting. I have always voted, but not always for every race on the ballot. Sometimes not voting is an expression of opinion.
It is wrong to think of the election process as a sanctification of state activity. It is merely a possible check on state activity. There is no way that a few elections can make the people really in control of all the millions of decisions made by government. The only way to freedom is strict limitation of the state.
An electorate can ruin a country just as easily as can a bad monarch, or a dictatorship. It all depends on the character of the people.
This is why free elections in Egypt will not bring anything desirable: no freedom; no order; no justice; no prosperity. You cannot built on a corrupt foundation.
No moslem country successfully runs as a democracy. Not one.
bump for later
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