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merrily

(45,251 posts)
Tue Jun 30, 2015, 08:11 AM Jun 2015

Populist Reform Starts With One Person, One Vote.

Recently, Justice Ruth Ginsberg wrote a wonderful opinion on gerrymandering in which she said, voters should choose their representatives, not the other way around.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026922012

Most particularly, we must turn the House around before 2020, so Republicans don't get to draw districts again.

We must work within our states, cities and towns.

We must advocate for voting rights.

We must register voters.

We must be on the alert for vote caging and other measures to keep people from voting.

We must help people vote. Absentee ballots help. So do rides to the polls, or arranging transportation.

We must make sure votes get counted properly.

We must serve as election officials.

Please, please use this thread to share your experiences and suggestions regarding voting related issues.

See also http://www.democraticunderground.com/12779117 (Ya say ya wanna revolution? Vote and GOTV)

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Populist Reform Starts With One Person, One Vote. (Original Post) merrily Jun 2015 OP
Kicked and recommended a whole bunch! Enthusiast Jun 2015 #1
We won't have One Person One Vote as long as we have the anachronism known as the ... Martin Eden Jun 2015 #2
In the electoral college, land votes. merrily Jun 2015 #3
Alaska and Delaware both have 3 EC votes Martin Eden Jun 2015 #4
The RW seems very attached to the electoral college. merrily Jun 2015 #5

Martin Eden

(13,471 posts)
4. Alaska and Delaware both have 3 EC votes
Tue Jun 30, 2015, 09:31 AM
Jun 2015

I see many problems with the EC:

Disproportionate representaion based on number of senators & reps. Reps are roughly proportionate, but every state regardless of population has 2 senators. Small states have more EC votes per person than states with large populations. Voter turnout can make that ratio even more disproportionate.

Winner take all is not in the Constitution, but nearly every state employs it. All the EC votes go to the candidate with the most votes, whether it's a landslide or the narrowest of margins. Only a relative handful of states are really up for grabs, which means the solidly red or blue states are mostly ignored and citizens there have less incentive to vote because they already know who will win their state.

"Members" of the Electoral College are not bound by law to cast their vote according to the popular vote in their state. This rarely if ever happens, but the entire EC system is IMO an anachronism created for an era when actual electors would have to travel by horse or carriage to cast votes in multiple rounds when no candidate received a majority of EC votes initially.

The candidate with the most actual votes cast by citizens can lose, and that's just plain wrong in my opinion.

merrily

(45,251 posts)
5. The RW seems very attached to the electoral college.
Tue Jun 30, 2015, 09:40 AM
Jun 2015

The candidate with the most actual votes cast by citizens can lose, and that's just plain wrong in my opinion.


In my opinion, too.
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