Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: muckmaw on April 14, 2004, 12:43:37 PM
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If memory serves me, was'nt the electoral college designed for a country that was sparsly populated with little or no infrastructure, thereby making it difficult if not impossible for many to vote?
In this age of instant global communication, is it time to eliminate this institution?
Come to think of it, why do I have to register to vote at all? Why can't I be automatically registered when I file my income tax return, or renew my license?
And why are we using machine from the 1960's to cast our votes? Punch cards? Chads? WTF?
Internet voting!
And in an effort to cut off the silly flippant comments, "We need the electoral college so GWB can steal another election" because Bush is the (A) Satan (B) hitler (C)Suck.
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How Stuff Works (http://people.howstuffworks.com/electoral-college1.htm)
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If this BBS is any indicator, yes, the EC is absolutely necessary.
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Thanks, BD.
Nice resource.
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The one thing I don't like is that not every state votes the same way electorally.
I.E. One state might have the votes split 8-7 in favor of someone. One candidate would get 8 votes, the other 7.
Other states would have the same split 8-7. The guy who won the 8 Votes would recieve all 15 votes, while the guy with 7 recieves none.
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No. IMO the electoral college is, and has been for some time, obsolete and not truly representative of the majority.
The public knows, or easily can if they choose to, all about the politicians from each of the states. People are able to review voting records and read politicians stances on issues directly now. And since the e.c. system was put into place newspapers, radio, television and more recently the internet have all helped to shrink this country into literally one big village.
Add to all that the Amercian public education system and IMO the average American is more intellegent when compared to thier ruralistic peers of the late 1700's.
(although when reading some posts one has ample reason to wonder)
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The electoral college is also still used to keep election fraud from running rampant.
If it turned into a popular vote, it would be free license to conjure up as many votes as you possibly can, most likely illegal.
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The current system of elections are in desperate need of a complete overhaul. Not only are things non-uniform from state to state, but the machines and in some cases punch cards and paper ballets are rife with miscounts.
What I'd like to see is a voting system where a touch screen system is used, along with a portable PDA system for those military men overseas or the infirmed who are unable to make it to the polls. Quicker response with less human error...
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Hell yes we need it. Just look at who would be president without it.
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However unlikely, it is possible for a candidate to win the presidency while only receiving a little over ½ as many individual votes as the runner up. The EC is dumb and outdated.
eskimo
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Delirium, there is a new electronic touch screen system being implemented, but it can be hacked, the vote counts altered and the trail can be cleaned,..all inside of 5 minutes.
It's so bad the company making and selling the systems have released the source code to the application (Windows based) asking for help to fix it.
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Originally posted by Skuzzy
Delirium, there is a new electronic touch screen system being implemented, but it can be hacked, the vote counts altered and the trail can be cleaned,..all inside of 5 minutes.
It's so bad the company making and selling the systems have released the source code to the application (Windows based) asking for help to fix it.
Out of the frying pan and into the fire.
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I have no problem with an electoral college. However, it'd make more sense to me to tally the votes by college members rather than giving an entire state to the winner in that state.
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Originally posted by Skuzzy
Delirium, there is a new electronic touch screen system being implemented, but it can be hacked, the vote counts altered and the trail can be cleaned,..all inside of 5 minutes.
It's so bad the company making and selling the systems have released the source code to the application (Windows based) asking for help to fix it.
ug...windows based...i dont know whos stupider...the makers of it or the people who let the makers of it make it...
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Originally posted by Yeager
Hell yes we need it. Just look at who would be president without it.
Yeah, the person that more Americans who decided to vote chose to be President. Eliminating the electoral college could promote more political involvement since each vote truely would count. Each party would be trying harder than ever to get party membership up and voter turn out up.
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In Connecticut (as I'm sure every state has) the lines of politcal supporters for each candidate have to stay outside a certain distance from the polling location. However, they make sure that you still have to cross that 'picket line' and are without question heckling the voters.
I wear a shirt that someone made for me that says 'I will not vote for your candidate- don't ask'. They really need a system where you can vote from the comfort and privacy of your own home.
(edit) my spelling is awful today
Originally posted by Skuzzy
Delirium, there is a new electronic touch screen system being implemented, but it can be hacked, the vote counts altered and the trail can be cleaned,..all inside of 5 minutes.
It's so bad the company making and selling the systems have released the source code to the application (Windows based) asking for help to fix it.
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Delirium, they've been recently proving that it's much easier to hack electronic voting then it is to commit regular voting fraud...
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I think the state legislatures should start electing the president. This would get more people interested in their state's politics and give the states more power over the fed. LOL It would be political suicide to even suggest such a thing though. I doubt 90% of the country realize the state legislatures can chose the president any way they want to.
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Originally posted by Skuzzy
Delirium, there is a new electronic touch screen system being implemented, but it can be hacked, the vote counts altered and the trail can be cleaned,..all inside of 5 minutes.
It's so bad the company making and selling the systems have released the source code to the application (Windows based) asking for help to fix it.
I have talked to the florida contractor that is setting up the voting
touch screen systems, I got the impression they were setting it up on Citrix, but the rep for some reason assured me it was secure..I didn't even ask he just started spouting off about how it had passed all 5 security tests... That leaves a big question?
Why the hell would we want to trust voting security to a windows product? They will regret busting the Chad ring up..
Older people can't see a touch screen either let alone punch a hole... At least with the punchers we had an established error percent that was qualified by years of elderly abuse..
IKON
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ditch the electoral college.
one man (or woman) one vote would be a more democratic way to go.
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Ok, we'll get rid of the EC, but I want to see the vote returned to property owners only.
Fair enough?
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The Electoral College was created to prevent a "Tyranny of the Majority." Self-explanatory.
Regards, Shuckins/Leggern
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In a republic (which we are) the concept of the EC is vital to prevent the majority from imposing it's will on the minorities. can't we see the sense of it? It was well thought out and has served us very well indeed.
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Originally posted by Skuzzy
Delirium, there is a new electronic touch screen system being implemented, but it can be hacked, the vote counts altered and the trail can be cleaned,..all inside of 5 minutes.
It's so bad the company making and selling the systems have released the source code to the application (Windows based) asking for help to fix it.
My bet is John Kerry is supporting it's quickest development?
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Originally posted by Saurdaukar
Ok, we'll get rid of the EC, but I want to see the vote returned to property owners only.
Fair enough?
Yeah, and base it on acres owned....
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I am all for the ellectoral college, would have never got an education otherwise.
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Originally posted by Delirium
...They really need a system where you can vote from the comfort and privacy of your own home...
absentee ballot.
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They really need a system where you can vote from the comfort and privacy of your own home.
We've had that here for years. you are sent a ballot a month or so before the election, along with the voters pamphlet which includes each candidates arguments and position on issues, as well as pages where private citizens or organizations can state their arguments for or against on the issues.
then you mail it in or drop it by the polls on election day. so far it works great, no problems that I've heard of.
another benefit is since the different candidates or issue supporters don't know if you are going to send it in weeks early or wait until the last moment, they can't throw out outrageous accusations or claims, a day or 2 before the election, in the hope they can't be disproved before the vote.
it works a lot like the absentee ballot but all mail-ins get counted, where in most states absentees only get counted if the election is close enough to go either way.