Voters Don't Need Increased Burdens to Create a Fraud-Free System

image
Published: 17 Jan, 2014
2 min read
I've written here previously about what I believe is the #1 most important electoral reform. More important than ending gerrymandering, more important than ending the legal extortion and bribery of elected officials, more important than term limits, more important than no political party shall be privileged, and more important than ending first-past-the-post single mark ballots (the #2 most important electoral reform) is the right to a

fraud-free counted vote.

(Also read: Hard Evidence Supports the Need for Voter ID Laws)

How disingenuous to bemoan the fact that almost everyone has valid state or federal ID, and yet mandate a second redundant ID which has an additional cost of time and money to cast a ballot. How about making a valid ID be a voter ID, or have it issued automatically from the first ID application?

This is an elegant spin of the red duopoly. The elegant spin of the blue duopoly is to deny the very existence of voter fraud. There is the very real issue of "state-hopping" where blue state residents "move" to purple states to swing those elections.

The reason voter turnout is low is that many people believe their vote doesn't count. And they are correct—it pretty much doesn't. A blue or red duopolist who takes money from the corporations/unions they regulate will get (re)elected, and the same spin the oligarchs and plutocrats flick just keeps on turning.

The doupoly controls the debates. Their ad revenue fuels mass media. Secret corporate money funds the candidates. You can't make this stuff up. The founders did not have this in mind. Why do we put up with it?

If almost everyone has valid ID then, I don't know, how about we let them vote?! If there must be another layer of validity, then let the federal government pay for it. It is also disingenuous for the red duopolists to scream we can't afford it. It can't cost all that much. We waste more than that on tons of stuff.

If people really had a choice at the ballot box, frictionless access to voting, and a verifiable fraud-free system—we would be the shining example of a democratic republic to the world. Not so much now.

You Might Also Like

“Cartoon illustration of Americans facing the U.S. Capitol as light pierces through red and blue partisan cracks, representing independent voters and hope for political reform.”
New Poll: Voters Want New Leadership – and They’re Turning to Independents
A new poll from the Independent Center highlights a clear message from the public: Americans are fed up with the current political leadership, and they’re ready for change....
12 Nov, 2025
-
2 min read
Massachusetts voters.
Ranked Choice Voting Momentum Surges in Massachusetts as Cities Push for Local Control
Ranked choice voting (RCV) continues to see a surge in momentum across the U.S. However, the state that has seen the largest reform growth in the last 5 years -- Massachusetts -- has received little attention. This is because the 10 cities that have approved RCV have not been able to implement it due to state law....
14 Nov, 2025
-
5 min read
Caution tape with US Capitol building in the background.
Did the Republicans or Democrats Start the Gerrymandering Fight?
The 2026 midterm election cycle is quickly approaching. However, there is a lingering question mark over what congressional maps will look like when voters start to cast their ballots, especially as Republicans and Democrats fight to obtain any electoral advantage possible. ...
11 Nov, 2025
-
8 min read