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With the United States preparing for its
midterm elections later on in 2014, special attention needs to be paid to
improving the overall election administration in many of the counties across
America. While it is certainly important to discuss the pertinent issues of the
day when it comes to public and foreign policy, healthcare, education and other
vital topics, the election process itself is something that must also be
addressed.
Indeed, following the horrendously long
lineups to vote in the 2012 Presidential election, the re-elected Barack Obama
thanked “every American who participated,” but he also said that “we have to
fix that” in relation to the very long lines. The democratic process needs
to be expedited and it needs to be easier for citizens to cast their ballots,
because long lineups and unnecessarily complicated processes can act as a
significant barrier to entry. When it is difficult to vote, some citizens may
simply opt out of voting altogether.
There are many
challenges ahead for election administration in the United States. Scandals
have plagued the electoral process, from the “butterfly ballot” scandal in 2000
to problems with lost votes, lack of availability of online voting information,
problems with voter turnout, and accuracy and reliability of the posted
results.
In particular, one problem that keeps
coming up with American elections surrounds the issue of provisional
ballots. These are ballots issued when there are questions related to the
eligibility of a given voter. This could be because of inaccurate voter roll
records such that the ID provided does not match what election administrators
have on file. It may also relate to the voter not appearing on the electoral
roll at all or the possibility that the voter's ballot has already been
recorded.
Ideally, the number of provisional ballots
should be kept to a minimum, because the administration of the election should
be such that the records are completely accurate and up-to-date. There should
be minimal conflict. However, this has been an issue in many cities and
counties across the United States, as recorded on Election Day in 2012.
For example, an incredible 37 percent of
the votes cast in Maricopa County in Arizona, home to Phoenix, were provisional
ballots. This could indicate structural problems at the polling sites.
Similarly, Denver, Colorado saw the highest rate of absentee ballots rejected
in the state. Some say these were based on false claims of voter fraud, particularly
against Latino citizens. In Duval and Hillsborough counties in Florida, a large
number of provisional ballots were cast and many voters were removed from
electoral rolls. A similar problem, possibly related to race, was observed in
Pasquotank County in North Carolina, where students at a historically black
university saw a high number of absentee ballots rejected.
All of these types of problems are rooted
in the administration of the election and they are indicative of an electoral
system that needs help. These issues can be addressed through the use of
technology and greater automation, but the administration must first recognize
the magnitude of these problems and work toward suitable solutions. Yes, you
have to fix that.
