by Bob Branco
During the year when a President is elected, there is a series of Presidential primaries throughout the country which help to determine the Republican and Democratic nominees for that office. These primaries are spread out over a 4-month period, with each one taking place in a different state.
In my opinion, this process is extremely unfair to all the Presidential candidates as well as to the voters. Some voters will actually be voting for candidates in the first set of primaries who won’t be on the ballot in later primaries. How is this fair? Last week, those who voted for Chris Christie in New Hampshire wasted their time because Chris Christie is no longer running for President. Therefore, what good were those votes? How could anyone justify the logic of this process? It makes no sense at all.
As far as I’m concerned, the solution is right there for all to see, but as cynics would say, “The Government won’t act on it because it’s too easy.” We are the “United” States of America, so let’s be united. Let’s have one national primary election on the same day. The Republican who finishes with the most votes wins that party’s nomination, while the Democrat who ends up at the top wins that nomination. Why would anyone even think this isn’t the right thing to do? Every vote would mean something, and to make sure, we should also do away with the Electoral College and make the entire Presidential election run by popular vote.
This is the twenty-first century. We don’t need to justify the Electoral College any more. Everyone votes now, not just farmers. I strongly believe that if it weren’t for the Electoral College, George W. Bush would never have been President. This isn’t a knock on Bush. It’s to point out that popular vote is what it is.
Let’s all use common sense and make elections more fair for all of us.
About the Author
Bob Branco resides in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and is a self-published author of four books. He is a community organizer, tutors persons with visual impairments, and has written columns for local and international organizations. Bob’s web site is www.dvorkin.com/robertbranco/.
