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Category: Government & Politics / Topics: Government Politics Voting & Elections

Voting Shenanigans

by Dan Seagren

Posted: October 30, 2016

Keeping the mischief out of elections…

Voting can be a precarious (unsafe, dangerous) pursuit or risk-free. It is widespread but hardly universal. There are ballots to be mailed or hand delivered, voting machines, raising of hands or a nod of the head and maybe a smile. Then there is drawing straws, flipping coins or via gunpoint, both legal and illegal options. I have stated it before but its worth repeating: the Biblical Disciples chose two reputable candidates then flipped a coin to replace Judas Iscariot. Places that hold elections need a safe guard from Shenanigans (mischief-making or deviltry).

There are the means of ignoring or outlawing voting regulations altogether such as anarchy, despotic, authoritarian regimes and via bribery, dictatorial, disputation, favoritism and nepotistic techniques. Or by manipulating the system to allow prohibited voters to vote and by using archaic, faulty voting devices and illegal votes.

Back to elections and voting. The fact is that lawmakers already have numerous legal and illegal options at their disposal for tipping the scales of democracy in one direction or another. Changing the composition of the electorate by enacting abnormal restrictions on who can vote, when, where, at what time or by not checking identification are among various ways to bypass election requirements.

Lawmakers can also take action so that votes translate into political representation by changing the geography of political districts to beef up their parties' representation in state and federal legislatures. The common term for this is gerrymandering -- drawing political boundaries to give a party a numeric advantage over its opposition. These boundaries can be politically twisted by respective parties so a majority of seats go to one party even though the total votes obtained were misrepresented.

Unfortunately, some of this can go unnoticed or deviously hidden, making democratic elections not always proper. This can lead into a non-democratic regime. The United States of America in many ways is an unusual country. Its beginnings could have gone almost in any direction but the tyranny against the early settlers was overcome and it became a democratic republic. It produced a long-lasting Constitution and by-laws, a Bill of Rights and became a powerful nation, politically, economically, militarily and morally. It was highly responsible for ending both global wars, WW1 and WW2, and minor (by comparison) skirmishes and may be close to a longevity surpassing the median duration of previous democracies.

Over the years its momentum has been challenged by other forms of government tempting to more than a few of the populous. It has lived beyond its means, endured financial misbehavior, lost respect for its military potential for intervention. With some advocating a new Constitution or even an alternate form of governing, plus division over many issues (immigration, the economy, etc.) anxiety is inevitable. The condition Shenanigan we have been discussing has gone beyond elections into various other vital endeavors and must be addressed sooner rather than later. The question is whether the U.S. is willing and able to do anything.



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Dan Seagren is an active retiree whose writings reflect his life as a Pastor, author of several books, and service as a Chaplain in a Covenant Retirement Community.

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Posted: October 30, 2016   Accessed 186 times

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