The final vote on the American Idol show involved 63.4 million Americans voting, more votes than for any Presidential candidate in history. There is something deeply embarrassing to me about that fact.
It is especially embarrassing when you realize that the United States ranked 140th in the world in voter turnout in the last decade.
[Thanks to the website YVoteOnline for the chart]
If Americans really cared about having more people vote in our elections, there is one simple thing we can do -- open the polls on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday.
Australia and Belgium have compulsory voting and open their polls for two or three days. Their turnouts are over 90%.
I am not suggesting that we should make voting compulsory, although it might be worth considering. I do believe, however, that in the Greatest Democracy in the World, we ought to broaden the window of opportunity for voting and not make it so difficult for alot of people to exercise their vote.
6 comments:
The idea of having the polls open 3 days and over weekends is a stroke of genius. Think there's any possibility it could happen? I'm afraid it's the last thing in the world rightists would accept, as it's the working stiff it would help. Nevertheless, a great idea...
Great idea. It would enable more working people to get to the polls and also cause Republicans to have to work two extra days to fix the election.
Why not just put the candidates on American Idol? Whoever sings the best (or the least horribly) gets to be president! Or why not make the winner of "American Idol" the president? Kelly Clarkson at least knows how to put a sentence together!
Stephen,
I think it is wrong to say more voted on the so called American Idol than voted in any election in history.
As I understand it around 64 million voted for the "idol". Unless I am mistaken our presidential election numbers have been over 100 0r 120 million or so.
I don't think any candidate has received 64 million votes but the election totals have been some more than that.
It is still an embarrasment.
Amen to that! But that is not good for the neocon's hegemonic dreams! They must rally the apathetic clan to stay home and not give a shit! Hmmm... Sound a bit negative? sorry...It is only negative for the fact that it is true...
Dicky -- Thanks for the correction. It should have said what it now says -- more than for any Presidential candidate.
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