American electoral system overdue for an overhaul

By JIM SHEA of the Hartford Courant

Obviously, the way we elect the president needs to be overhauled.
We just can’t go on like this.

Other democracies are beginning to talk.

I mean, we can ship rovers to Mars, we can little blue pill octogenarians into red-hot lovers, we can lip sync Ashlee Simpson into rock stardom, but we can’t elect a leader every four years without half the country feeling like they just got played in a game of Three-Card Monty.

There are two basic problems:

The first has to do with the way we actually vote.

Depending on where you live, the method can range from the latest electronic voting machines, to paper and punch-card ballots, to dropping a sacred bean in the appropriate pot.

OK, so maybe the bean thing is an exaggeration, but I don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest that food fight rules are more uniform than state election laws.

From what I can determine, the only people who are absolutely assured of being allowed to cast their vote when they show up at the polls are white male property owners.

Everybody else has to fill out a stack of forms, bring witnesses and/or submit to body-cavity searches.

As a result, what should be a quick civic chore—voting—turns into a camping trip.

And, you know, there is just something un-American about having to wait for hours in a long line when there are no concert tickets at stake.

Certainly the technology exists to simplify the process.

Personally, I like the idea of using satellite cameras. The way it would work is that at a designated time on Election Day, everybody in the country would go outside.

Those who support the Republican candidate would raise their right arm, those who are for the Democrat would raise their left.

Everyone would look up, smile, click, and then a computer would analyze the group photo and tabulate the results.

The other basic problem with our electoral system is that it takes too long and costs way too much money.

These problems could be eliminated rather easily if we just cut to the chase.

Here’s what I’m thinking.

The way the country is divided between the Reds and the Blues, the election always comes down to a few swing states, right?

So next time, why don’t we just give voters in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida the official responsibility of selecting the president.

It would make the campaigns easier and less expensive, and allow the rest of us to go about our business free from the annoyance of attack ads, pollsters, and pundits.

It sure beats hanging with chads.