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Abolish the Secret Ballot
The Atlantic ^
| July/August 2012
| Sara Issenburg
Posted on 06/26/2012 3:45:45 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
click here to read article
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Liberals are always focusing on turn-out. I think that is the wrong focus. We should want voters who are informed and engaged.
To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...
Thanks afraidfortherepublic.
2
posted on
06/26/2012 3:53:17 AM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
To: afraidfortherepublic
This shift coincided with a dramatic drop in turnout rates, from nearly 80 percent of the eligible population in 1896which had been typical for the erato 65 percent eight years later.
They have never recovered, falling to around 50 percent in 1996.
Wow. Talk about post hoc ergo propter hoc.
By that reasoning, having numerous precincts, multi-language ballots and extended hours also reduced turnout.
The main reasons turnout reduced is because access to the franchise was extended to larger groups of people (non-real property owners, 18 year-olds, etc. [I exclude women as a group because they vote ion greater proportion than the population at large]).
Another reason is that many offices just represent way too many people. It is one thing to vote for a mayor or a state rep or a congressman in a small town and state, but a Congressman today represents what would have been the population of several states in the 1850s.
The premise of the article is silly. In the era of the New Black Panthers and the SEIU, more than a little dangerous.
3
posted on
06/26/2012 3:53:17 AM PDT
by
Dr. Sivana
("You forget, it isn't who you claim, but instead, who claims you. We don't claim you!")
To: afraidfortherepublic
We should want voters who are informed and engaged.
Indeed. Its sad how few people have a clue what their own congressman does every day. Every day I see comments in the local paper complaining that our congressman doesn't do anything based on the lack of news stories or major speeches.
4
posted on
06/26/2012 3:53:17 AM PDT
by
cripplecreek
(What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
To: 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.
5
posted on
06/26/2012 3:57:38 AM PDT
by
Vaquero
(Don't pick a fight with an old guy. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.)
To: Vaquero
group mentality which resulted in we are required to vote for the Black Man groupthink...
I'm not voting for Mitt Romney. Now watch what happens.
6
posted on
06/26/2012 4:06:28 AM PDT
by
cripplecreek
(What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?)
To: afraidfortherepublic
![](http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/black-panther.jpg)
Cardcheck goes national.
The author is an idiot.
7
posted on
06/26/2012 4:06:32 AM PDT
by
Lonesome in Massachussets
(The Democratic Party strongly supports full civil rights for necro-Americans!)
To: Vaquero
Reminds me of card check.
To: afraidfortherepublic
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.
9
posted on
06/26/2012 4:11:29 AM PDT
by
Lonesome in Massachussets
(The Democratic Party strongly supports full civil rights for necro-Americans!)
To: afraidfortherepublic
This is a threat....pure and simple.
10
posted on
06/26/2012 4:11:44 AM PDT
by
mo
(If you understand, no explanation is needed. If you don't understand, no explanation is possible.)
To: afraidfortherepublic
Where I vote most of the poll workers are retired teachers and school board members.
I always make a point to tell them exactly how I voted, against every liberal running and every property tax millage.
11
posted on
06/26/2012 4:17:10 AM PDT
by
Beagle8U
(Free Republic -- One stop shopping ....... It's the Conservative Super WalMart for news .)
To: afraidfortherepublic
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.
12
posted on
06/26/2012 4:17:35 AM PDT
by
BobL
To: afraidfortherepublic
"The most effective tool for turning nonvoters into voters10 times better than the typical piece of preelection mail, according to a 2006 Michigan experimentis a threat to send neighbors evidence of ones apathy."![](http://roblorinov.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/nikolai-yezhov-barack-obama.jpg)
Need a ride to the polls, comrade?
13
posted on
06/26/2012 4:25:16 AM PDT
by
SnuffaBolshevik
(In a tornado, even turkeys can fly.)
To: afraidfortherepublic
Exactly right. Liberals love turnout because there are more of the uninformed than there are of the informed, there are nore of the uninvolved than the involved, and these are the type that think the government should “do something about whatever their problem is.
14
posted on
06/26/2012 4:25:58 AM PDT
by
chesley
(God's chosen instrument - the trumpet)
To: Lonesome in Massachussets
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.
To: cripplecreek
I am not voting for him either... action... reaction.
LLS
16
posted on
06/26/2012 4:37:08 AM PDT
by
LibLieSlayer
(Don't Tread On Me)
To: afraidfortherepublic
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.
17
posted on
06/26/2012 4:54:46 AM PDT
by
docbnj
To: afraidfortherepublic
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.
18
posted on
06/26/2012 4:55:22 AM PDT
by
docbnj
To: afraidfortherepublic
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.
19
posted on
06/26/2012 5:09:52 AM PDT
by
docbnj
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