Let’s call it: It’s time to reform the election process

The pollsters got itwrong again. Some claimed going into Tuesday’ selection that Joe Bid en had an unbeatable margin of 17 points in some states. Pundits claimed Republicans would lose between five and 15 seats intheHouse. It appears they’ve picked upafew. Andbecause final results willnotbe known until states count mail-in votes and endtheir extendedvote-counting processes, Republicans could pick up a few more.

Why do some continue to employ these pollsterswhomiss the “silent majority,” or in this case “shy” Trumpvoters, many ofwhomrefused to speak with or hung up on their robocalls? Someconservatives believe it is part of an effort by the left to discourage conservative voters so they will give up and not bother to vote. Instead, they showed up in person and in huge numbers at polling places across the country.

Then there’s the bad practice of calling races with a fraction of the vote counted.

OnFoxNewsTuesday night one of the members on their “decision desk” was interviewed after Arizonawas called for Biden with a small percentage of the votes counted, prompting howls fromtheTrump campaign and anger fromsome viewers. Why is this necessary? Somewould argue, credibly, that the result can be to drive downvoter turnout by discouraging people whomight thinkTrump lost.

There’s a golden oldies song and amovie with the same title that featured a fortune teller and potion mixer. The song and film were called “Love PotionNumber 9.” The fortune tellerwas namedMadameRue. I think I’ll consult her before the next election. Her predictions might be more reliable than the ones by these failed pollsters.

This is— because it isn’t over— another multibillion-dollar election. Remember campaign finance reform? Gone with the wind.

In Sen. Mitch McConnell’ s Kentucky election victory, according to the Center forResponsive Politics, nearly $100 million was contributed and spent. Much of the money came frompeople outside the state.

Itwas the same in South Carolina where incumbent Lindsey Grahamwon reelection in a hotly contested Senate race. Graham joked that the $107 million contributed to his opponent, JaimeHarrison, was a “bad investment.”

Apipe break in FultonCounty, Georgia, delayed voting. Could this be the “hanging chads” of the 2000 election in Florida? Will ballots bewater damaged, making some of them unreadable, or questionable?

We need to reform the election process. Campaigning should be made shorter as they do in theUnited Kingdom. Their election season usually takesweeks, not years like ours. OnTuesday night, some anchors were already speculating who might run for president in 2024. Ridiculous.

The paper ballot— even those scanned by machineswhen theywork— is a relic of the past. We live in a digital age. Why can’t we vote digitally in a manner thatwould instantly confirm our votes and send them to a secure database? Having towait days and possiblyweeks to determine the next president reduces the credibility of our election process andmakes us a laughingstock in the eyes of the rest of theworld.

Itwould be a shame if this election winds up in the SupremeCourt, widening the divide in our already fractured country. Manywere hoping for a decisive outcome, whichever candidatewon. It looks like we are not going to get it and the rancor, name-calling and demonstrations will continue.

It doesn’t have to be thisway. Who will step forward and call for meaningful reforms? I’m going to askMadameRue.