A modest proposal for future election cycles.I
n addition to
regularizing the presidential election-year calendars and voting schedule, I propose binding all party-convention delegates to the expressed will of the voters. No more unpledged or "super" delegates each subject to secret, undemocratic, and unaccountable backroom finagling. If a majority of delegates are unable to choose a nominee after several rounds of voting in an open national convention, only then would they be released from their respective commitments and free to vote for any candidate.
Indeed, I propose more fully democratizing the whole delegate-selection process. If a majority of voters in any state's party primary election or caucus prefer one presidential candidate, then all delegates from that state would be bound to vote for such candidate in the national convention. Otherwise, those delegates would be apportioned among the most preferred candidates (i.e., the two of more having the highest number of votes who together received a majority of all votes) according to their respective numbers of received votes.
The times, places, and manner of holding presidential primary elections and caucuses are, of course, prescribed in each state by the legislature thereof, by the parties themselves, or by both. I propose no constitutional amendment to alter that. It is up to those entities and, ultimately, we the people to propel an implementation of this or any other proposal for reforming our public elections.
Labels: a Republic if we can keep it
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