Here's a little essay (roughly 400 words) that I've been tinkering with for some time. Maybe at some point I'll make it look nicer by adding color, a pamphlet layout, etc. Anyway, here it is:
REAL VOTING REFORM By Alex Small Every election cycle many Americans lament the lack of a strong third party. Some say that the two parties are corrupt. Others don�t fit in with either party, perhaps being conservative on economic issues and liberal on social issues. Whatever their reasons, many Americans want more options. Unfortunately, even if there is a third candidate whom you feel is superior to both the Democrat and the Republican, the best bet is usually to pick the lesser evil between the two contenders. Victories like Jesse Ventura�s, where people boldly vote for their true first preference, are rare and will remain rare so long as we only have one vote to cast. Fortunately, elections don�t have to be run that way. There�s an easy way to determine the true, honest favorite of the voters: Approval Voting, where you simply indicate yes or no for each candidate. The candidate with the strongest approval from the electorate wins. We could do it without new voting machines. And, since voting laws are handled by the states, grassroots efforts could bring this about without conducting a massive nationwide campaign. Who will benefit from Approval Voting? 1. We The People. We�ll have the freedom to vote our conscience and still hedge our bets against our least favorite�have our cake and eat it too! We�ll see competitive third and fourth options. If our main concern is defeating a particular candidate we can say yes to all of his major competitors. If our main concern is only electing a particular candidate we�ll be free to approve him and no other. We�ll also be free to take an intermediate course of action. 2. The Democrats and Republicans. Surprised? Right now, candidates often win primary elections with less than 25% of the vote. With Approval Voting, whoever has the broadest support within the party will win. The parties will go into the general elections united behind strong candidates. They also won�t have to worry about candidates who could never possibly win acting as �spoilers� in close general elections (e.g. Ralph Nader). 3. Third Parties. Third parties will go into the election without worrying about the �wasted vote syndrome.� They will win or lose based on whether or not the people agree with their proposals. In short, everybody will benefit. This is no surprise, because people benefit when they have more freedom to make choices. For all of those who are tired of the same two choices every year, the road to reform is clear: Approval Voting.
