Vote Early

                                                                                   

We've reviewed a few of the services that might be provided by a nationwide internet system, but there are many more – and most of them would provide additional revenues for us, although that should not be a sine qua non to justify them.

For example, the hallmark of a democracy is participation of the governed. In a “true democracy,” every citizen would have the opportunity to vote on every issue. While that may have been possible in small communities like the ancient Greek city-states, it is not practical in our modern republic, and representative democracy forms a part of a larger and more complicated system. The issues and the problems we face are far more complex and numerous than they were then,ⁱ making the casting of informed ballots on all the issues impossible. Learning all we would need to know to do so would be more than a full-time job. When citizenship was limited to the propertied with ample leisure time, and voting was considered a privilege and expectedⁱⁱ of every good citizen, and there were fewer and more clearly stated questions, that ideal was far easier to achieve.

Not so in a twenty-first century America. It's too much work to keep abreast of the issues. There are far too many of them and they're more complexⁱⁱⁱ than we can handle. So we hire full-time “representatives” – our Executive and Legislative branches – to do the learning and thinking^iv for us. That way we can ignore whatever we choose, with the knowledge that we can vote out of office anyone is “wrong” on issues important to us. That is, if we vote at all. And, unfortunately, after demanding paid time off from work in order to exercise our right to vote, too many of our citizens, whose ability to do so is not limited by the strictures of the ancients, are not motivated to cast ballots.^v Only about sixty percent of eligible voters do so in a presidential election^vi for a variety of reasons – long lines, poorly functioning voting machines,^vii a belief that one's vote doesn't really count,^viii and ignorance about the candidates and issues are among them.^ix And, of course, there are those who are lazy or simply don't care.^x

Most of th0se problems could be addressed by internet availability of whatever information is needed^xi to make an informed choice, and the ability to vote more easily and within seconds of^xii the decision to do so.^xiii A constitutional amendment eliminating the Electoral College might also give voters a greater feeling that their vote counts. And using computers issued by the government to specific individuals, there is less chance of voter fraud.^xiv The importance of the franchise, a privilege that is not universal, might be emphasized by a nominal charge (perhaps a dime, perhaps some other arbitrary amount, or even a sliding scheduled linked to your income)^xv to vote. But because voting is ordained by the Constitution, those who cannot afford the cost or are opposed to a charge on principle should be able to opt out and still vote.

A final module in the voting program should lock the machine on election day to any capability other than voting after a certain time – if that has not already been done – and only unlock it thereafter. While the votes of those who don't care or would prefer not to vote, shouldn't be forced, they should be asked to declare that in some polite way. For many who intended to vote but have forgotten, this will be a good reminder. The use of the machine should again be possible after the polls have closed so after that even those who don't vote, and don't want to say so, will be back on line.

There are numerous other potential functions that could be satisfied by a governmental internet service and I can't mention them all, and certainly not dilate on their full extent, but I must mention a few. The first is the census. At present we only conduct it every ten years but this might give us more opportunities to count thus providing us with a more up-to-date data base. Even if we keep the spacing as it is, however, it would take a lot less time and cost much less to do so. That's sure to make the Secretary of the Treasury happy. And we can also use the system to apply for passports and for other government documents. Whether they're gun permits or driver's licenses, whether Federal or State, making it possible to do some or all of the work from home will make it easier for the applicant and cheaper for the government. Win-win.

Additionally, the internet can be used for draft registration and application Social Security coverage.  And a daily National Lottery, playable at home, could be instituted.  With participation by all states and territories, the payouts would be huge.  A cut for the Federal government would make an important contribution to the Treasury.  Ideally the prizes will be smaller and much more numerous to promote spending – and that will help the economy in general.

You probably noticed that I haven't said much about everyone's favorite government agency: the IRS. I'll do that tomorrow in the penultimate installment of this series.^xvi

Until then, be a good citizen. No matter how much it hurts.

Next episode: “Taxation Without Representation” – You get what you pay for. So if we pay the IRS less … If only.

i       In large part by design.

ii      Or required.

iii    So that voters won't recognize that their tax money is being stolen and squandered, or that the authors of the various bills are as confused as they are.

iv     Imagine. We pay people to think for us. That, in itself, is worth thinking about. Let's hire a consultant.

v      The United States ranks 120th of the 169 countries for which data exists on voter turnout, falling between the Dominican Republic and Benin, according to a January 2012 study from the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.

vi   According to Michael McDonald, a political scientist at George Mason University. Citation by LiveScience.

vii   All kinds of regulations and specifications have been imposed recently to ensure greater efficiency in the voting process. Maybe it's just me, but they seem to be slower and more dinosaur-like than ever before, and they seem to require more (paid) staff than in the past. Perhaps that was the intent.

viii   The Electoral College is among the reasons for that. Because the President is not elected by popular vote, and the candidates and their fiscal supporters focus primarily on “swing” states, there are many votes that really don't count. That's one reason, but not the only one. In some states the “result” is announced by the media in advance of the election. Of course it's only an educated (or wishful) guess, but it's enough to convince many people not to “waste” their time.

ix    There are some who don't believe there's much of a difference between the parties and they don't wish to vote for the lesser of evils.

x     One individual commented on the internet that he didn't vote so the government wouldn't get his name for the jury list. He didn't want to participate in the judging of others in as evil a judicial system as there is in this country. He then spent several paragraphs expounding on all of America's faults. It was sad that he was forced to stay here when he could be an illegal immigrant in some more honorable country.

xi      Including political statements and other propaganda.

xii     At home.

xiii  Since the computers will be portable, absentee ballots won't be needed. You can vote wherever you are. And if you won't be carrying your machine, you can program it, before you leave home, to cast your ballot on Election Day. Even the military can set up computer voting stations so a delayed count will not be required and the results can be tabulated as soon as voting hours are over.

xiv   The program should include the opportunity for other family members to register and vote, and there must be a voting program that assures that there will be anonymity. Who can vote will be limited, but the choices will never be connected with the individuals.

xv    That's not likely to bring in very much to the government, but a penny here and a penny there … Senator Everett Dirkson is reputed to have said: “A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon it adds up to real money.” That kind of thinking by our representatives is how we got into this mess.

xvi   The last – which will discuss some of the profits to be made by ridding ourselves of a few of our functions – will appear on March 17, 2013. Stay tuned.