The Flawed American Electoral System

A free and fair election is one that is inclusive to all of the population. A democratic state requires active citizen participation to ensure equal representation. The framers of the constitution originally wanted the United States government to only be governed by educated white men. It was not until 1920 that the 19th amendment was passed that allowed white females to vote in America. Then it was not until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that allowed African-Americans the right to vote freely. There were many amendments and reforms throughout history that has changed our election system. Different changes to state election process will ensure an equitable election system. This is a highly debated legislative issue that goes back and forth for the past decade and into the 2020 election. It is crucial for such a powerful and free country to protect its proud democratic values. 

There are still issues with the American election systems. There are a lot of holes in representation within the electoral system. With the United States being so large, it is difficult for an election to be completely accurate and secure. A threat to the electoral system is voter fraud. There has been thousands of cases of voter fraud from people impersonating a deceased person to someone impersonating someone that moved away from a certain area. (NPR) This is a threat to democracy because someone can cast multiple votes for one candidate. To decrease voter fraud there must be an effort to avoid residual votes. Residual votes are the number of uncounted, unmarked, and spoiled ballots in an election. A decrease in residual votes will mean that there are fewer errors in counting the votes which can offset voter fraud cases. This will solve the intentional or unintentional errors in the election system.

(https://www.npr.org/2012/02/14/146827471/study-1-8-million-dead-people-still-registered-to-vote)

To patch the holes of inaccurate representation within the electoral system there must be reform on primaries. The primary system is the electoral mechanism for selecting party nominees to compete in the general elections. Primaries are divided into two types; a closed primary, and an open primary. A closed primary can only be voted by members of a certain registered party (Democratic/Republican.) An open primary does not require party membership for one to vote. Different states use different primary systems. Only 11 states, including Colorado, use an open primary system versus the majority of states that use a closed or a semi-closed primary system.(NCSL) The closed primary system is preferred by most states because it avoids non-affiliated member intervention. The downside to having an open system is that anyone from any party can sway votes toward a certain nominee. This threatens the sovereignty of political parties. Political party nominees will be influenced by outside voters. Having the most popular nominee of each political party to go head to head in a general election is much more favorable, than having a popularity contest across all of the different party boundaries. 

Participation is a large issue in elections. Getting people to come out to vote is a challenge year after year in every type of election. Politics are ignored by the youth. The poor do not have the resources to learn about current politics. New voters are not invested into politics. The lack of participation in elections deprives Americans of any representation. There must be reformation in voter education across the country. The public school system should have more resources to inform and encourage independent thought about politics amongst the youth. There should also be free resources available to the poor that can inform them of upcoming election candidates. Every American has their own voice that needs to be heard in casting votes. This is to ensure a more perfect union and an equitable future. 

(https://www.census.gov/newsroom/blogs/random-samplings/2017/05/voting_in_america.html)

Sources: 

1. Fessler, Pam. “Study: 1.8 Million Dead People Still Registered To Vote.” NPR, NPR, 14 Feb. 2012, www.npr.org/2012/02/14/146827471/study-1-8-million-dead-people-still-registered-to-vote.
2. Underhill, Wendy, and Dan Diorio. “State Primary Elections Types.” State Primary Election Types, 6 June 18AD, www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/primary-types.aspx.
3. US Census Bureau. “Voting in America: A Look at the 2016 Presidential Election.” The United States Census Bureau, 10 May 2017, www.census.gov/newsroom/blogs/random-samplings/2017/05/voting_in_america.html.