“Let’s Make Elections Greater Than Ever.”

Our Proposal:

• Create incentives for voters to educate themselves on the issues and vote

The Goal:

• Have elections decided by facts and ideas, not marketing campaigns, empty promises, and misinformation
• Eventually achieve 100% voter turnout

Explanation:

The Solutions Party believes that there are two fundamental problems with elections in America today: 1) ill-informed voters, and 2) low voter turnout.

The first problem is best summed up by Winston Churchill’s famous quote: “The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.” This quote highlights the fact that elections are often decided by voters who are largely uninformed, have been overly influenced by reality-distorting marketing campaigns and emotion-manipulating attack ads (i.e misinformed), or are otherwise voting based solely on a passionate commitment to a pet issue. Combined with the second problem, low voter turnout, the result is that a largely ill-informed voting minority often decides elections in a way that does not necessarily benefit the rest of the citizenry. Local, less-visible elections are especially prone to low voter turnout, even though such elections arguably affect the day-to-day lives of people more.

A minority of voters deciding elections is clearly not a sign of a healthy democracy, especially if these voters are often not as familiar with the issues and/or candidates as they could be. We must strive to do better, otherwise faith that democracy works for the good of all Americans will continue to erode. An example is the Supreme Court - a majority of the justices (the “conservative wing”) now serving were appointed by presidents who lost the popular vote, and were confirmed almost exclusively by senators who represent a minority of voters. Yet the final-word decisions of the ever-more-partisan and ever-less-credible current Supreme Court apply to everyone, which means we literally have minority rule at the highest level of the judiciary. Arguably the makeup of the SCOTUS would be different had large and better-informed majorities voted; even if the composition were unchanged in such case, at the very least the current SCOTUS would be majority-backed and its legitimacy would thus be unquestioned. (Those happy with the present SCOTUS makeup should ask themselves how they would feel if there were a liberal “super majority” instead. To maintain credibility, the SCOTUS, as well as the entire judiciary, must be non-partisan). 

In an ideal democracy, all voters would be knowledgable on the issues and candidates, and would vote accordingly. The Solutions Party believes that it is imperative to realize this ideal as closely as possible. Let’s not have elections determined by misinformation, soundbites and a minority of voters anymore. Creating a well-informed, large and committed electorate is one of the reforms needed for our democracy to achieve its potential, thus creating a fairer and more prosperous society for all. Enhancing the credibility and effectiveness of our elections should therefore be a national priority. It is a necessary step to Make America Greater Than Ever.

Our Proposal:

The Solution Party proposes starting a nationwide project to invest in our elections, the goal being to give voters attractive incentives to get informed and vote. One idea to implement this proposal could be the following: for each election, in-person and online sessions could be held where candidates and/or advocates of certain ballot measures (etc.) are given the opportunity to explain their positions, in a fact-based, no-nonsense way. The key points of such sessions, along with simple independent critiques (fact checks), would be summarized and made available online and in booklets. Based on these sessions and summaries, quizzes would be made available. The value of incentives (“rewards”) offered would be proportional to quiz scores; the better the quiz score, the more generous the rewards. The quiz could be retaken as often as one wants.

Only those who take the quiz and verifiably vote would be eligible to receive rewards, which could be offered via a range of multi-selectable options. For example governments (local, state, national) could offer actual cash, tax credits, or other perks (free passes to national parks, for example). Private companies that wish to contribute to this effort could offer gift cards and/or discounts on products and services. Community colleges and universities could offer discounts for classes. Again, the better the quiz score, the more valuable and numerous the options available for the voter to create their own unique “package” of rewards. A special superstar status could be established for voters who consistently get high quiz scores. A “Certified Superstar Voter” status could carry such benefits as special bonuses, preferential treatment for employment opportunities, or even something as simple as pre-boarding privileges on flights to provide a highly public acknowledgment of appreciation. The possibilities are endless.

For younger, potentially financially-struggling voters, the incentives could not only be particularly attractive, but could also help kickstart a lifelong habit of getting informed and voting. Helping younger voters develop a passion for effective voting would be great for our country and our democracy, especially over the long run.

Schoolchildren could also participate in the exact same way. Special quizzes could be crafted according to age, with fun prizes available depending on scores and participation in “voting.” The votes of underage children would not count of course, but here too the idea is to help children develop a lasting passion for being accurately informed and voting. Time could be set aside in class so that classmates could engage in polite, teacher-supervised debates regarding the choices in the election. Teaching children to be respectful when discussing the issues and different points of view is important for the longterm health of our democracy - we want civil and idea-based elections, free of rancor, spite, and tribalism. A further envisioned benefit: this project would help children learn to familiarize themselves with, and develop their own opinions about, the issues independently of the political environment at home; helping children become free, independent, and responsable thinkers is the best gift we can give them. Finally, it would be insightful to see how our children’s votes trended - would there be cases in which their votes of were much different from those of the true voting population? If so, why? Our election officials should have at least some consideration for the votes of schoolchildren when debating ideas to move the country forward.

Everybody, regardless of political orientation, should recognize the value of 1) having candidates and ideas presented to voters in a clear, straightforward way, and 2) having voters incentivized to inform themselves so that the best ideas prevail. There are good ideas across the political spectrum. Let the ideas speak for themselves, and let a large and well-informed electorate decide. Getting closer to this ideal and achieving a more perfect democracy is why investing in a voter incentive program is not only worthwhile, but crucial.

A Final Note:

All non-democratic countries, be they dictatorships, theocracies, or monarchies, share the same fundamental characteristic: a small ruling minority deems that only their ideas are acceptable, and uses the power of government to brutally impose those ideas on its citizens. No dissent allowed. We must not ever allow America to adopt such a wretched form of government. 

Democracy is at its core about the free exchange of ideas. If you believe in democracy, then you have faith that eventually “right will prevail” if your fellow citizens are accurately informed, understand the issues, and vote. If the ideas you espouse are truly the best ones, then you have nothing to fear from democracy. On the contrary, it should be in your interest to see that all voters see your point of view accurately, can contrast your ideas with those of others clearly, and then vote subsequently. Democracy in America will then truly be what it should be: the best way to implement the greatest ideas to improve things for everyone, while safeguarding the freedoms we cherish.

A large, well-informed and committed electorate means a truly great America. Let’s invest to make that happen.