fandomsandfeminism:

codenameanxiety:

fandomsandfeminism:

odds-in-ends-my-friends:

fandomsandfeminism:

10 Things America should do if we actually value democracy

1. Automatic voter registration for all citizens
2. Allow all citizens of voting age to vote, including felons and people currently incarcerated
3. Mandatory voting
4. Mail in voting available for all
5. Election day becoming several days, including a weekend
6. Abolish the electoral college and move to the popular vote in presidential elections
7. Institute ranked voting systems to encourage third parties.
8. Eliminate gerrymandered districts (moving, perhaps, to a proportional party vote) in state elections
9. Ban corporations from donating money to politicians
10. Restrict active campaigning AND political fundraising to only 8 weeks before election day.

Not sure about the mandatory voting? Like, what do you do if someone doesn’t vote? Everything else seems like a good idea, though.

Using Australia as a model, the purpose of making voting compulsory is that it obligates the government to make sure voting is ACCESSIBLE to every citizen, no matter what. Hence automatic registration, universal mail in ballots, etc.

I think the fine for not voting is like…$26 and its perfectly legal to go vote and write “abstain” on your ballot if thats a thing someone wants to do. Which I like, because it makes abstaining a deliberate political action and not a default “whoops forgot” deal.

I agree with this but what is the point of number ten?

Currently, many legislators spend more time actively fundraising than actively legislating.