Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - The case for third party alternatives in the US

Rekna · 12-21-2006, 08:57 AM

I still believe the core of our voting system is wrong and that is how we cast/count votes. Single person voting only works fairly if there are 2 candidates. Any more than 2 and extra parties can become spoilers causing someone to win who the majority of people do not like.

For example say some country is 80% for party A and 20% for party B , then party A should win a national every election. However the ballot measures allow people to run easily and 8 people from party A run while only 1 person from party B run. The 8 people split the vote pretty evenly each receiving around 10% of the vote. The party B candidate receives 20% of the vote. Even though candidate B was the least popular to the majority of the public he has won the election. Now this is an extreme example but when our elections are coming down to a half of a percent difference and a third party is taking up 2-3% of the vote they can easily change the election and allow the wrong person to get elected.

In addition the all or nothing vote within the electoral college is completely broken. And so is the way we elect people to the house and senate. Why is it that the house is split 50 dem, 48 repubs, 2 ind. When in reality if you look at the political leanings of the public that does not represent them at all. The house and senate should represent the public. But the 2 party system has broken our election system.

I personally like the systems where people vote nationally for a party and that party gets a certain % of the vote. Then that party gets that % representation in the house and senate. Now each party has their own elections elect representatives. Of course this has problems because rural areas no longer get representation. So the system would have to be modified for that.

12-21-2006, 08:57 AM	#5 (permalink)
Rekna Junkie	I still believe the core of our voting system is wrong and that is how we cast/count votes. Single person voting only works fairly if there are 2 candidates. Any more than 2 and extra parties can become spoilers causing someone to win who the majority of people do not like. For example say some country is 80% for party A and 20% for party B , then party A should win a national every election. However the ballot measures allow people to run easily and 8 people from party A run while only 1 person from party B run. The 8 people split the vote pretty evenly each receiving around 10% of the vote. The party B candidate receives 20% of the vote. Even though candidate B was the least popular to the majority of the public he has won the election. Now this is an extreme example but when our elections are coming down to a half of a percent difference and a third party is taking up 2-3% of the vote they can easily change the election and allow the wrong person to get elected. In addition the all or nothing vote within the electoral college is completely broken. And so is the way we elect people to the house and senate. Why is it that the house is split 50 dem, 48 repubs, 2 ind. When in reality if you look at the political leanings of the public that does not represent them at all. The house and senate should represent the public. But the 2 party system has broken our election system. I personally like the systems where people vote nationally for a party and that party gets a certain % of the vote. Then that party gets that % representation in the house and senate. Now each party has their own elections elect representatives. Of course this has problems because rural areas no longer get representation. So the system would have to be modified for that.