>From ugly experience I propose the following additions. Terms and conditions of elections may only be modified by a citizen originated referendum. (the legislature has lost all trust) Petition requirements may never exceed 0.01% of the electorate in the district where the election is to be held. Nor may any issues or parties have preferred status over others. (open ballot access) Parities or interest blocks may be put on the ballot which select candidates or advance candidates or any combination of the two. Where this is done a vote for the party or interest block will be counted and the candidates they voted for will be counted. All counted votes will be publicly reported regardless of how few votes any candidate or party received. (interest groups like friends of the spotted aardvark get counted. If they only get two votes everybody knows it.) Candidates selected by an interest block will have that noted under their name on the ballot. Candidates may refuse such support selectively or in general. Voters may vote of a party or interest group and override parts of the implied ballot. (You can refuse the endorsement of the American Nazis. You can vote straight aardvark and override some or all implied votes.) Candidates may designate successors to take their place on the ballot in event of their death or other disqualification. If election is held before ballots can be changed votes are counted as votes for the successor. (assassination clause alas we need one) Ballots shall be open to new candidates up to 7 days before election but not after. No write in candidates will be accepted. (open elections, but we get more election judges if they can go home before midnight) All district boundaries shall be compact, contiguous, on precinct boundaries and selected by a standard computer program which is informed of nothing but precinct boundaries and populations. Once chosen the program may only be changed by voter initiated referendum. (no gerrymandering)
