Poem: "Think Outside the Ballot Box"
Jul. 9th, 2024 08:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis poem is spillover from the July 2, 2024 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired and sponsored by janetmiles. It also fills the "Cooperative / Teamwork" square in my 7-1-24 card for the Games and Entertainment Bingo fest.
"Think Outside the Ballot Box"
When politics has devolved
into a sausage-stuffing session,
when elections are little more
than glorified popularity contests,
when the public good has turned
into the tragedy of the commons,
when people have forgotten
that a democracy is meant
to be an exercise in teamwork,
when cooperation is seen
as becoming compromised --
then it's time for people
to think outside the ballot box.
Ranked-choice voting is a way
of preferring moderate options
over any sort of extreme.
Each voter gets to vote
for every candidate, ranking
them in order of preference.
It saves time and money by
allowing instant runoffs with
no further effort, in case
there is a tie or when
a candidate drops out.
It allows people to vote
for the candidates that they
actually favor most, rather
than who they think can win.
It promotes unity over division.
Because people often love
one extreme while hating
the opposite extreme,
this method favors
candidates in the middle.
They may not attract
passionate support, but
they don't rile hatred either.
It also tends to stabilize
policy, rather than letting it
swing wildly like a pendulum.
Strong leanings only occur
when an overwhelming majority
of voters want them to happen:
everything in moderation,
including moderation.
* * *
Notes:
"They always say making legislation is like making sausage," Sayler said.
The "tragedy of the commons" occurs when too many people overuse a limited resource through carelessness and selfishness. It is a problem of poor organization and improper load, not an indication that people can't share things.
Ranked-choice voting is a method that allows people to choose their favorite candidates, not just the one most likely to win. Explore the advantages. Work toward it through activist sites like Fair Vote, Rank the Vote, and Unite America.
janetmiles. It also fills the "Cooperative / Teamwork" square in my 7-1-24 card for the Games and Entertainment Bingo fest. "Think Outside the Ballot Box"
When politics has devolved
into a sausage-stuffing session,
when elections are little more
than glorified popularity contests,
when the public good has turned
into the tragedy of the commons,
when people have forgotten
that a democracy is meant
to be an exercise in teamwork,
when cooperation is seen
as becoming compromised --
then it's time for people
to think outside the ballot box.
Ranked-choice voting is a way
of preferring moderate options
over any sort of extreme.
Each voter gets to vote
for every candidate, ranking
them in order of preference.
It saves time and money by
allowing instant runoffs with
no further effort, in case
there is a tie or when
a candidate drops out.
It allows people to vote
for the candidates that they
actually favor most, rather
than who they think can win.
It promotes unity over division.
Because people often love
one extreme while hating
the opposite extreme,
this method favors
candidates in the middle.
They may not attract
passionate support, but
they don't rile hatred either.
It also tends to stabilize
policy, rather than letting it
swing wildly like a pendulum.
Strong leanings only occur
when an overwhelming majority
of voters want them to happen:
everything in moderation,
including moderation.
* * *
Notes:
"They always say making legislation is like making sausage," Sayler said.
The "tragedy of the commons" occurs when too many people overuse a limited resource through carelessness and selfishness. It is a problem of poor organization and improper load, not an indication that people can't share things.
Ranked-choice voting is a method that allows people to choose their favorite candidates, not just the one most likely to win. Explore the advantages. Work toward it through activist sites like Fair Vote, Rank the Vote, and Unite America.
(no subject)
Date: 2024-07-10 02:20 am (UTC)Electoral reform is always hard when the current system inevitably favours the government in power.
That said, assuming Labour do not go back on their promises (ha! maybe, not holding my breath on that though) we should see some sort of proportional representation or even ranked choice here.
America however is way, way wayyyy over-due an over-haul
(no subject)
Date: 2024-07-10 03:01 am (UTC)Well ...
Date: 2024-07-10 03:33 am (UTC)Re: Well ...
Date: 2024-07-10 07:35 am (UTC)But in running a country (or state or city or town), you can't have no one filling a job that needs doing. So there would have to be a "run off" or whatever people might call a second election. And I totally think that if enough people voted for none of the above in a political race, not allowing any of those people to run in the "run off" election would be reasonable.
I don't think it would happen very often, but once would, as you noted, probably be enough to teach the politicians (or at least most of the current ones) something.
Re: Well ...
Date: 2024-07-10 07:41 am (UTC)Re: Well ...
Date: 2024-07-10 07:57 am (UTC)