Our public elections do not function correctly. Elections have never worked as well as people thought they did, and over the past 200 years, career politicians have found multiple ways (like gerrymandering) to rig elections and insulate themselves from voters. More recently, the integrity of elections also has been eroded, thus opening the door to fraudulent manipulation.
Elections are ultimately the only mechanism citizens have to maintain control of their government. Elections must function properly. There are several serious problems that need to be corrected. Excellent solutions are now known for all such problems. One might hope that clearly laying out the problems with their solutions will quickly lead to solid elections. Sadly, that is unlikely.
It is politicians in office who must legislate the fixes. Only a small minority of them are sincerely motivated to do so. Most just strive to remain in office and that is facilitated to some extent by elections that do not function as they should. It is virtually impossible to get politicians to do anything they do not want to do.
Roy Minet majored in physics in college, but accepted a first job offer in engineering with a large multi-national corporation. Following that were positions in sales, then marketing management and finally management of a strategic business planning group, all for the same corporation. Moving into small business, he bought and operated a beer distributorship for 12 years before selling it. While distributing (and perhaps drinking) beer, he founded Intelligent Computer Systems, Inc., which pioneered comprehensive, integrated, real-time business software and installed turnkey computer systems for distribution businesses nationwide. After 22 years, ICS was sold to the 3M Corporation. Mr. Minet is now retired and pursuing a backlog of personal projects; most notably, improving all aspects of elections. He also has taught economics part time in 11th and 12th grades with the Junior Achievement program. Approximately 40 of his op-ed columns have been published. Mr. Minet was the Libertarian Party's candidate for Pennsylvania Auditor General in 2016.
