How I’d fix the election day mess

As you know most voters visit the polls on Election Day, cast their ballots and find out who won the next day. It’s been this way forever. It’s a broken, inefficient system and I’d like to change it. We aren’t living in the twentieth century any more. Times have changed.

Some states offer mail-in ballots so you can vote ahead if you’re going to be out of town on election day, or for specific approved reasons. Oregon goes all the way, and mails ballots to every voter three weeks ahead of the election so voters can mail them back in or visit a drop off location.

So what do I want to change? I like the Oregon system, but I’d make several changes –

1   Although state legislatures control how people vote in their states, for the federal elections – president, senators and congressional representatives, I’d like the U.S. Government to send out ballots one month before the elections and include the website address next to each candidate’s checkbox. That will allow the voters to see whose running for that specific seat, and prompt them to visit that candidate’s website. The less well-funded candidate would have a much better chance of election, as 90% of the battle is getting your name and ideas out. That’s why incumbents stay in power for ever.

Naturally, incumbents will oppose this inclusion.

2   I’d like each voter that mailed back the optically scannable ballot to be able to visit the polling station on election day if they want. They can see how his or her mail-in ballot was officially recorded.

For example, in Georgia you’re given a credit card sized card to insert in the polling machine. Before being given to that specific voter, the card would be inserted in a device that enters the mailed-in votes onto the card. When they slide it into the polling machine all of the races will have an X showing how the person voted by mail.

In that way they can make sure that the electronic recording system worked properly, complain if the recorded votes don’t jibe with the copy the voter kept, and correct the errors on the spot.

An option would be to go online using voter credentials (social security number/address verification, and a unique number from the ballot to see what was entered) and check the day before and election day. If it’s wrong, the voter could visit the polling station and correct the errors.

Although I’m sure that some people will try to figure out a way to game the system, the use of U.S. Postal Service mail will stop online fraud and the ability to check your vote (and correct it if needed) will allow a far broader turnout and fairer election process than we have today.

I’m sure that with sufficient incentive, state governments would comply if only for parts of the ballots that is for federal elections.