Democracy nears end

2018 could be an historic election year. This could be the year of the last little Democratic rally in American history. Surely, by 2024, Republicans will have routed Democrats out of the political system. As more secretaries of state and county clerks become Republican, more election commissioners and election auditors will be Republicans.

This condition may make it difficult for Democrats to get a fair shake in future elections. Even if an election result gets disputed in the future and goes to court, the judge will probably be a Republican. If the dispute goes all the way to the Supreme Court, the Supremes will be mostly Republican. Two more Supremes are expected to retire soon and will surely be replaced by Republicans.

Much of the news media will be owned and controlled by Republicans and will not be motivated to report voting discrepancies. Voting computers will tell us who gets elected, and the U.S. Constitution will say whatever Republicans want it to say.

Some Democrats think the paper trails from voting computers will save American democracy. Unfortunately, Republican media and the Republican judiciary will probably not even support the use of paper. Technology is changing everything more quickly than Democrats realize. Canada, Estonia, France, and Switzerland already use online voting, and Estonia votes online for all political contests.

American democracy had a good run. It is time to let go of it.

GENE MASON Jacksonville