Change.org
Presently, the American electoral system is showing its age. Our leaders and our representatives have determine how to run this system to remove the choices from the voters, and to allow for potential contenders for public office to be manipulated or unduly influenced by interests that are of a small minority rather than the majority of the constituents they are supposed to represent.
The petition proposes a constitutional amendment be made that for any two or more party election to occur, that there be an additional choice added to the ballot. If a majority of the eligible voting electorate chooses "conantur iterato" or "try again" both parties nominees are stricken from future opportunity to run for public office and the parties must re-choose a representative. The electorate should have a right to say that the process did not work, and must be re-tried. We wouldn't release bad medicine, or choose a terrible entree, why would we simply say that these choices are all we have. This option creates potential for more mindful spending and deliberative choice making when selecting the representative, how those representatives would comport themselves, and those who would choose the opportunity for this public office would do so facing the idea that if they failed to engage the electorate as much as their opponent, both of their careers in politics would be forfeit.
The thought that spurred this petition was "what if political parties had to risk something with the candidates they put forth?"
The 2016 election has been quite a divisive and negative campaign for both parties. At time of writing, both Candidates who are running for the highest public office in the land have un-favorability ratings of near 60% (ABC News Poll Aug 2016). Voters are upset. They are looking to choose between two unlikable candidates, such that the old adage of "the lesser of two evils" is more palpable than it has been in the minds of the electorate.
This doesn't facilitate choice, people don't feel represented and we're unable to come together as a nation with candidates who represent their constituencies with grace, poise, and favorability.
We can do better. We need to evaluate the system and ensure that we dictate to our representatives, and not the other way round. Edit: It should be mentioned that change.org went down right after I made this petition.
Sign here: https://www.change.org/p/the-us-congress-constitutional-amendment-for-american-voters-to-have-the-right-to-vote-for-a-do-over
