- Sep 26, 2000
- 28,559
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First off I would end the selection of people for jury duty by using voter registration lists.
There are at least some people, especially small business owners, who would face real financial hardship if they had to serve say 2 weeks on jury duty. While most judges are pretty lenient letting you off if you own your own small business, its an unecessary impediment.
Second, I would make voter registration OPT OUT when you get a drivers license, file your taxes or open a bank account. And for taxes, include all people 18 and over who are claimed as dependents. This would cover 99.8 percent of Americans, I am guessing.
Third, I would mandate registrations be approved, disapproved or challenged within a certain time frame, maybe 3 or 6 months. AND that every approved person receive a notice, in writing, they are eligible to vote and where. This approval can be presented at the polling place to ensure access to voting but NOT required. With registrations spaced out over the year it would save the last minute rush and the overwhelming of registrars. While the first year would be a lot of work when people file their taxes, subsequent years would be pretty easy, and mostly be concerned with changing peoples addresses.
Fourth, there should be a strict voter access law specifying how long a voter can wait to vote. A reasonable maximum, say one hour. It is unfair that say mothers with children should have to stand in line more than an hour to vote. There should be a standby "flying squad" of voter machines ready to be wisked to any location where the lines get too long.
Fifth, election day should be a court holiday. All judges should have no court cases, and be available to resolve any disputes at any time during the day.
Sixth, the exact number of disputed ballots such as "provisonal" ballots be reported along with the election totals so everyone knows how many there are at the same time as the actual votes.
While some of these suggestions may raise constitutional questions as to what rights the states have to manage their own elections, of course the solutions should only apply to Federal elections, but I think all the states would want to use and follow the laws for the Federal elections since things like voter lists will already be in place, and it would be more difficult to have separate state rules for different elections.
Ok, what do you think and what are your ideas
There are at least some people, especially small business owners, who would face real financial hardship if they had to serve say 2 weeks on jury duty. While most judges are pretty lenient letting you off if you own your own small business, its an unecessary impediment.
Second, I would make voter registration OPT OUT when you get a drivers license, file your taxes or open a bank account. And for taxes, include all people 18 and over who are claimed as dependents. This would cover 99.8 percent of Americans, I am guessing.
Third, I would mandate registrations be approved, disapproved or challenged within a certain time frame, maybe 3 or 6 months. AND that every approved person receive a notice, in writing, they are eligible to vote and where. This approval can be presented at the polling place to ensure access to voting but NOT required. With registrations spaced out over the year it would save the last minute rush and the overwhelming of registrars. While the first year would be a lot of work when people file their taxes, subsequent years would be pretty easy, and mostly be concerned with changing peoples addresses.
Fourth, there should be a strict voter access law specifying how long a voter can wait to vote. A reasonable maximum, say one hour. It is unfair that say mothers with children should have to stand in line more than an hour to vote. There should be a standby "flying squad" of voter machines ready to be wisked to any location where the lines get too long.
Fifth, election day should be a court holiday. All judges should have no court cases, and be available to resolve any disputes at any time during the day.
Sixth, the exact number of disputed ballots such as "provisonal" ballots be reported along with the election totals so everyone knows how many there are at the same time as the actual votes.
While some of these suggestions may raise constitutional questions as to what rights the states have to manage their own elections, of course the solutions should only apply to Federal elections, but I think all the states would want to use and follow the laws for the Federal elections since things like voter lists will already be in place, and it would be more difficult to have separate state rules for different elections.
Ok, what do you think and what are your ideas
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