[Election-Methods] Partisan Politics

[Fred Gohlke]

Good Morning, David

re: "I see an 'Election Commission' there. ..."

You're right.  'Election Commission' was a poor choice of terms on my 
part.  Our experience with "commissions" in party politics is enough to 
destroy anyone's confidence that such entities can be objective.  I 
could have used election clerks, department, officials, management, 
administrators or staff, just as well.  Now that you've expressed 
concern about this aspect, it might be well if I were to describe the 
process in a bit more detail.

My vision is that the entire electorate is maintained in a database and 
software creates the random groupings.  The sole purpose of the staff is 
to maintain the database and run the software that assigns electors to 
groups.  As each level completes, the staff updates the database to show 
the selections made and the new data is massaged to generate the 
groupings for the next level.

Specifications for the software might include:

* Group the electors geographically closest to each other, provided no 
group member has been grouped with either of the other two members in 
the previous 5 elections.

* Elector(s) remaining after the maximum groups have been created are 
called Overflow.  Overflow fill vacancies in groups caused by the death 
or incapacity of a member of a defined group.

* If a group becomes incomplete because of the death or incapacity of a 
member and there is no Overflow available to complete the group, the 
remaining members become Overflow.

* Overflow who are not assigned to groups (presumably one or two people) 
rise to the next level and must be the first person(s) assigned to a 
group at the next level.

Except for preferring geographic proximity, there is no other 
consideration than random selection.  The process continues until a 
target number of officials has been selected.

* The database maintains a record of the group assignments for each 
elector.  When an elected representative wishes to, or is required to, 
seek the guidance of those who elected him or her, the computer supplies 
a list of those who elected the official.

* Elected officials may be recalled, but only by the people who elected 
them.  The recall process can be initiated if some defined percentage 
(say, 10%) of those who elected the official petition for recall.  The 
recall petition is voted on by each of those whose choices led to the 
election of the official and the recall is effective on a simple majority.


re: "I understand you would not have parties ..."

That is not exactly accurate.  Parties may exist, but the process I've 
outlined is independent of them.  Groups make their choices based on the 
qualities of the person they select.  The qualities may or may not 
include their partisanship.


re: "... but I have seen no mention of a magic spell that might do away 
with greed."

The 'magic spell' is the desire for selection and the qualities we seek 
in our representatives.  Each of us, in selecting someone to represent 
us, will prefer the person we believe will act in our best interest. 
The fact that we each pursue our own interest will influence us not to 
select an avaricious or dishonest person to represent us in our 
government.  Those who wish to advance must be able to persuade their 
group (i.e., us) of their ability, intellect and integrity or they will 
not be selected.  The magic in the process is our natural pursuit of our 
own interest.

Fred