Elections

Today I voted!  Even stranger this was the first time that I voted at a  polling place.  For every election before today, I was out of my voting area so I voted via absentee ballot.  Today I actually got to stand in line and vote at a polling place.  Although kind of cool, it was also a bit of a let down.  We had to fill in a bubble sheet while hiding our ballot behind cardboard screens.  It reminded me of High School.

  I ask myself, we don't we not vote via the internet?  I can do all of my banking on the internet.  I can make all kinds of changes to my personal status for the military on the internet, but I can't vote.  This really seems like a missed opportunity.  Everything I hear about the mid-term election is the poor voter turn out.  Imagine if I could vote via an app.  How would that boost voter turn out and citizen engagement.  I beleive that there are some states that allow this, but it should be more widespread.

  Finally, why do we still have the Electoral College.  I understand why it was put in place.  When population was widespread with low density and getting ballots in and counted could take weeks if not months.  We don't have these problems anymore.  Why not make it a true popular vote.  Let everyone vote and just add them up.  The only people that I can see who still benefits from the Electoral College are the political parties.  They can concentrate their money and effort in the "swing" states and those with large Electoral College numbers while small and leaning states get mostly ignored.  Having a truly popular vote would help even this out.  I know that it won't happen anytime soon because just like campaign finance, the people who benefit are the ones that have to change it.  Not likely.