Voting Reform Now

I'm not talking about election reform (financing, advertising, etc), though that needs to be fixed as well. I'm talking about the one and only way to eliminate the game theory psychology that has skewed our so-called Democracy into a popularity contest between two unpopular parties that control everything.

It's been a while since I saw it discussed around here so I am bringing it up again as we come into the mid-year elections that serve as the unofficial opening of the 2012 presidential campaign. I'm talking about Instant Run Off Voting.

For those who are unfamiliar with the concept, it is a method of voting where in you can vote for a first and second choice. Variations can allow you to vote for more choices or have you rate the candidates in orderof preference. The BASIC idea being that if your first choice clearly is in the minority, your second choice can benefit from your vote. Again, variations allow for all candidates receiving weighted points or votes from each voter (i.e. I could give 3 points to Dennis Kucinich, 2 points to Ron Paul and 1 point to Obama).

Looking at Instant Run Off voting's direct impact on the way winners are selected, it sees to it that every voice is taken into consideration as it relates to each candidate and gets a truer image of electorate preference.

FAR more importantly in these darkly contentious times, it would allow voters to vote their beliefs or conscience more consistently. How? By eliminating the gamemanship involved when one considers a vote for a 3rd party to be a thrown away vote that only helps the opposing "Big 2" candidate, since voters have a way of saying "I really want Ron Paul, but would be willing to live with John McCain."

Theoretically, this can then bleed over into the actions of elected officials as well. With the public freed from the choice of either voting along party lines or "throwing away" their votes, politicians would have the opportunity/need to be more candid and in depth. They could not coast on the vague, meaningless support generated by the (R) or (D) after their name.

For obvious reasons, this would not be a popular thing among the ruling elite of our useless 2 Party system. As such, it would need to presented two different ways.

The easier to do is the grassroots mass demand for Instant Run-Off Elections. Every "third party" and independent politcal organization should be mobilizing their people to regularly flood capital hill with demands for this more representative form of elections

The second and harder would be to attempt to legally prove the necessity of instant run-offs to maintain the integrity of our electoral process. This would require massive auditing polling over numerous election cycles showing that people are voting against their true desires/beliefs/interests because of corruptions and distortions inflicted on our electoral system in the last hundred plus years.

I'm going to start a personal program of contacting the White House, my senators and congressman (along with my state and local government) every other week or so reminding them of the value and need of this program. I'm getting as many people to join me as possible. What do you think?