Curious about the US Electoral System

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fountainhall

Curious about the US Electoral System

Post by fountainhall »

After sitting for weeks through the endless recount shenanigans in Florida at the end of 2000, it's clear that similar types of problem are again affecting not only that state but at least one other.

Being from the UK although no longer having a vote there, I witness General Elections where virtually all results are completed within 12 hours of the close of polls. Those constituencies which take a little longer - emphasis on "little" - are generally those that cover a large geographical area with small populations as in the Far North of Scotland and the North West of Scotland. Even when recounts are required, these are usually completed within a matter of hours.

As I understand it, the voting system in the UK is simply by paper ballot but with some postal voting. Granted the UK has little over 20% of the population of the USA and a greater number of parliamentary constituencies than in the US Congress. Yet how is it that nothing seems to have been done in the USA to standardise voting procedures so they apply to the entire country rather having than different methods for different states. And without paper backups, how is it possible to guarantee the accuracy of electronic voting, especially if there is a challenge from the loser or a requirement for a recount?

As an exercise in guaranteeing one-person-one-vote democracy, it seems inexplicably fraught with complications.
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Gaybutton
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Re: Curious about the US Electoral System

Post by Gaybutton »

fountainhall wrote:t seems inexplicably fraught with complications.
In my opinion the explanation is obvious. They don't want to modernize the system. That way, it makes it much easier to keep people from voting and easier to disqualify votes. That's how George W. Bush beat Al Gore.

Are you familiar with the American election term known as "Gerrymandering"? If not, look it up. That's how parties in power often manage to manipulate elections.

Honesty in American elections? Please - give me about 15 minutes to finish having my little laugh . . .
fountainhall

Re: Curious about the US Electoral System

Post by fountainhall »

Gaybutton wrote:Are you familiar with the American election term known as "Gerrymandering"?
Yes indeed. And it's not unique to the USA. The UK has done a fair bit of tinkering with constituency boundaries.
firecat69

Re: Curious about the US Electoral System

Post by firecat69 »

While I agree with mostly with GB, it always pisses me off when Gore is brought up. Florida was a mess and still is but Gore lost because the Idiot could not win the state he was a Senator from for 18 years and his father before him.

Same this past Presidential election. Yes the Russians interfered etc etc . But Hillary lost because she once again was a horrendous candidate , listening to fools she hired rather then the greatest politician in the last 40 years, her husband. Just some visits, any visits to Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and she would have won.

With the cheating the Republicans do with gerrymandering , and reducing the votes of minorities , they still rarely win the popular vote .

But the Republicans cannot stop the browning of America and the minorities will become the majorities and who knows what the Right Wing will do to hold on to their continued loss of power.
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Re: Curious about the US Electoral System

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firecat69 wrote:who knows what the Right Wing will do to hold on to their continued loss of power.
That's what worries me. I'm not exactly delighted with what I've seen them doing so far. I think some of them are going to get more extreme.

I agree about the stupidity of candidates who likely could have won, but took advice from the wrong people and took far too much for granted in their own decisions. Look at the result and what we're stuck with now.


"There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why? I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?"
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