Thanks to James Madison, the left is obsessed with their “right” to vote, declaring even common-sense restrictions to be “repression.” Elections are, in fact, just one privilege of citizenship in this republic, where the founding fathers wanted the governors to be accountable to the governed (to prevent the “intolerable acts” of monarchs). Even if, as they considered, the people elected state legislators, who then chose the president and congress, the USA would still be a democratic republic.
The left has fallen into a thinking trap; i.e. universal direct voting is an inalienable right, such as the right to life. Nope! Jefferson reasoned the right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness were collective rights of thirteen colonies. The Declaration of Independence demanded national self-determination and self-regulation in 1776 – not seats in Parliament or the “right” to vote for the next monarch. It took eleven years for elections to be prescribed.
Americans enjoy the privilege to vote by virtue of good citizenship, not residency in the US or if convicted of a felony. Further, my North Carolina summer residence doesn’t entitle me to vote there – and I have no “right” to direct-vote everyone in charge. I’ve voted in four states for judges, police chiefs and members of congress, but never for a Supreme Court justice, FBI director or Speaker of the House. This reality is not repression – not even close.
The framers of the constitution knew a vast and diverse continent required voting checks and balance. The indirect vote (electoral college) is a check upon ten populous states, where 51% of the total vote resides; thereby ensuring the policy balance that keeps fifty states united. This strategic balance stops green California from dictating to energy voters in Louisiana, and keeps open-up Florida out of shut-down New Jersey’s COVID fight.
The 2020 election of Joe Biden begs for checks on a few blue precincts that engaged in vote harvesting and curing. No way does “election ease” mean no identification or harvesting post-election votes, and “count every vote” can’t mean partisan poll workers cure no-signature absentee ballots (90% for Biden). Europe stopped this nonsense years ago, after finding mail-in ballots and electronic counting invited widespread fraud and inaccuracy.
Dutch citizens must be abroad on Election Day to vote by mail and every vote is cast and counted by hand (the result of machine failures). After rampant mail-voter fraud in the 70s, France banned mail-in ballots. Germany ruled electronic voting machines unconstitutional because of mistakes. Checks on fraud and error don’t suppress votes: participation is 71% in the Netherlands and France, and 84% in Germany.
There are common-sense solutions to ensure voting ease (make Election Day a work holiday), prevent voter fraud (require photo ID), and ensure election accuracy (cast and count ballots by hand). Until then, Republicans must investigate and publicize dirty politics until Americans demand election integrity in every precinct. This is why I love Florida’s Latino voters, who know it’s a privilege to vote.
Former Cubans and Venezuelans know the “privilege” demands responsible voters, who can get a photo ID and make time to vote. Fact: 87% of blacks, 90% of Hispanics, and 95% of whites had photo IDs in 2015. Is getting a photo ID into the hands of 2.5 million more black adults that hard? Not in a country where 11.5 million pizzas and 6.5 million FedEx packages are delivered every day.
This begs the question: if I can see a way to get photo IDs into every voter’s wallet, why can’t Stacy Abrams (D-GA)? Could it be she wants to control (not count) every vote? Probably, because her crowd counted over 20,000 ballots cast by folks who were no longer Georgia residents (source: Voter Integrity Project). If you’re a centrist Democrat, is this really what you support? If so, don’t expect my sympathy when the socialists steal your 401-K savings.