Every election season people are urged to register (if they are not already registered) and vote. In my view, that's inappropriate. The act of voting properly comes at the end of a personal research effort.  Calling for the final act without calling for the work that legitimizes that act is irresponsible.   An uninformed vote is not what the Founding Fathers had in mind. Indeed, out of the three branches of our government, the executive, legislative, and judicial, the Constitution allowed only one half of one third of those branches to be directly elected by the people. The Fathers were skeptical of giving too much power to the masses. Judges were (and still largely are) appointed by the executive and approved by the legislative branch. The executive (President) was--and still is, though with less flexibility--selected by the electoral college. Senators were chosen by state legislatures. It was only members of the House of Representatives (one half of the legislative branch) who were originally elected by popular vote.

Note that even though only one sixth of the government was eligible to be elected by the people, it was the Founding Fathers intent to limit this partial voice to educated people. They limited the vote to white, landowning males; thinking that was the simplest way to ferret out the uneducated and unintelligent.  So, the Constitution originally allowed less than half the adult citizens of the United States to directly elect just one sixth of the federal government.

If one doesn't do the research on the issues, candidates, ballot measures, and one's own life stance; voting on them is improper. It is disrespectful of self, of informed voters, of the intentions of the Founding Fathers, and of our election process.

The message to spread as election time nears is not "vote" but "research your voting options, explore your personal desires in those areas, and in those cases (a particular race or ballot measure) in which it seems an alternative among multiple choices is more desirable to you, vote your favored alternative--otherwise don't vote."

I recognize this message will not be heartily embraced or acted on by a significant majority of our electorate. As a result we will continue to get the type of government officials we have--and we will deserve them. Unenlightened people acting within an unenlightened process are not apt to select enlightened leaders. 

On a personal note, there are few times I spend the effort in researching a particular vote and fewer still cases in which I think one alternative is more desirable than another.  As a result, I frequently do not vote. 
 

© 1999 frantzs@geocities.com