# How to prevent this election nonsense from happening again
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prevent-this-election-nonsense-from-happening-again/924791
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [November 4, 2020, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prevent-this-election-nonsense-from-happening-again/924791 "2020-11-04T22:39:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2020, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prevent-this-election-nonsense-from-happening-again/924791/1 "2020-11-04T22:39:19Z")
Given the complete 50-state patchwork of election procedures and regulations, and the threats of lawsuits and chicanery and shenanigans; but also taking into consideration the Constitutional provision that elections are under the purview of state legislatures:
What should be done to make elections run more smoothly, with less drama, and with results known sooner? And what can be done with/without a constitutional amendment?
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### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2020, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prevent-this-election-nonsense-from-happening-again/924791/2 "2020-11-04T22:42:37Z")
Electoral college has gotta go. I mean, one candidate is wanted by millions more Americans than the other, right now, yet the election is still in question. That kind of republic is bananas.
Short of a constitutional amendment, we need to get more states to join the [compact](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Popular_Vote_Interstate_Compact).
Other possibilities:
-States could pass laws not to report any results until they have complete results.
-Media could limit coverage of polls.
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2020, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prevent-this-election-nonsense-from-happening-again/924791/3 "2020-11-04T22:51:07Z")
Get rid of voter suppression.
Nationwide voter laws. Vote by mail is legal for all. All votes counted if Postmarked by election day (Ok, we can move that back a couple days, as long as it is a national date, like “PM by Midnite the Friday before Election Day”).
Voter iD is not needed, except in rare circumstances.
No less than one clearly marked ballot box pickup per so many registered voters.
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### Author:  [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2020, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prevent-this-election-nonsense-from-happening-again/924791/4 "2020-11-04T22:55:43Z")
Massive online voting. Fully encrypted. Individuals spend thousands of dollars daily online, essentially “voting” with their wallets that the “results” will be accurate, and they will get their “candidate” purchases. Surely people can be convinced the same could happen for voting, right?
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### Author:  [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2020, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prevent-this-election-nonsense-from-happening-again/924791/5 "2020-11-04T22:59:48Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#):
>
> Massive online voting. Fully encrypted.
Any method needs paper backup, and I don’t see that happening with online voting.
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### Author:  [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2020, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prevent-this-election-nonsense-from-happening-again/924791/6 "2020-11-04T23:05:12Z")
> [@jsc1953](#):
>
> taking into consideration the Constitutional provision that elections are under the purview of state legislatures
Actually, Congressional elections are under the purview of Congress, to whatever degree they choose to exercise it:
> The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but Congress may at any time make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Place of chusing Senators.
Theoretically, states could run other concurrent elections (e.g. the Presidential election) separately and declare them exempt from the regulations Congress has made or altered, but as a practical matter that’s awkward, expensive, and (perhaps most importantly) in-your-face inconvenient to the voters, particularly if the Congressional regulations are designed to streamline the election process.
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### Author:  [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2020, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prevent-this-election-nonsense-from-happening-again/924791/7 "2020-11-04T23:07:01Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#):
>
> Massive online voting. Fully encrypted. Individuals spend thousands of dollars daily online, essentially “voting” with their wallets that the “results” will be accurate, and they will get their “candidate” purchases. Surely people can be convinced the same could happen for voting, right?
You can’t get people to trust it. Even if you make the most secure online voting system in the world, people’s hairs stand up on the back of their neck at “online voting.” The very name screams shenanigans and hacking.
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### Author:  [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2020, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prevent-this-election-nonsense-from-happening-again/924791/8 "2020-11-04T23:43:34Z")
> [@ratatoskK](#):
>
> Any method needs paper backup, and I don’t see that happening with online voting.
Yeah, ‘easier to destroy’ doesn’t strike me as a good approach here.
I do want to throw in with the idea that nobody should announce results until the official count is over - or until somebody forces a recount, at which point the prior count could be revealed. There are literally no benefits to hearing the incomplete results early. Hell, I wouldn’t even let the states announce their results until all are in (since again, that’s an incomplete total).
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### Author:  [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)
#### Post date: [November 4, 2020, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prevent-this-election-nonsense-from-happening-again/924791/9 "2020-11-04T23:53:08Z")
> [@ratatoskK](#):
>
> Any method needs paper backup, and I don’t see that happening with online voting.
Why not? Just keep a paper backup.
> [@Velocity](#):
>
> You can’t get people to trust it.
I understand it will be difficult. But as the country gets younger and kids grow up more and more with smart phones etc, I would hope it could be phased in, as the old fogies die out. Imagine, everyone could wake up on election day, cast a vote, and be be back in bed for another hour before going to work. Allow voting a week ahead of time, and by the time dessert is ready on election day, we’d know who won.
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2020, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prevent-this-election-nonsense-from-happening-again/924791/10 "2020-11-05T01:21:28Z")
I dont trust that. The kremlin and China have good hackers.
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### Author:  [@smilingbandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smilingbandit)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2020, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prevent-this-election-nonsense-from-happening-again/924791/11 "2020-11-05T01:22:16Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#):
>
> Electoral college has gotta go. I mean, one candidate is wanted by millions more Americans than the other, right now, yet the election is still in question. That kind of republic is bananas.
This does not match reality, at least as of today.
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### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2020, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prevent-this-election-nonsense-from-happening-again/924791/12 "2020-11-05T01:32:28Z")
> [@smilingbandit](#):
>
> This does not match reality, at least as of today.
Tempted as I am to ask you to explain, I think that way lies the garden path. Unless it’s relevant to why the electoral college has gotta go, I’ll just say, sure.
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2020, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prevent-this-election-nonsense-from-happening-again/924791/13 "2020-11-05T01:35:04Z")
Well, because we’d have to amend the Constitution, and the Republicans wont go along with it, so it aint happening.
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### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2020, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prevent-this-election-nonsense-from-happening-again/924791/14 "2020-11-05T01:37:45Z")
Interstate compact, baby. See link from my first post.
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### Author:  [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2020, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prevent-this-election-nonsense-from-happening-again/924791/15 "2020-11-05T01:41:10Z")
I’m no encryption expert, but I believe it would solve that problem.
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### Author:  [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2020, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prevent-this-election-nonsense-from-happening-again/924791/16 "2020-11-05T01:52:45Z")
> [@jsc1953](#):
>
> What should be done to make elections run more smoothly, with less drama, and with results known sooner?
Why is results known soon a plus?
I’m for the interstate compact, even though results might take longer because, in a tight race, you need full results from all states.
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### Author:  [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2020, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prevent-this-election-nonsense-from-happening-again/924791/17 "2020-11-05T01:57:34Z")
> [@Velocity](#):
>
> You can’t get people to trust it. Even if you make the most secure online voting system in the world, people’s hairs stand up on the back of their neck at “online voting.” The very name screams shenanigans and hacking.
I’m as liberal as the next person and I wouldn’t trust it.
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### Author:  [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2020, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prevent-this-election-nonsense-from-happening-again/924791/18 "2020-11-05T01:59:30Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#):
>
> Interstate compact, baby. See link from my first post.
The Interstate Compact has been discussed elsewhere on SDMB. My main problem with it is, there is nothing that stops a state that isn’t in the compact from not releasing any numbers, or at least something besides how many people voted and who won the state, before January 21 - what does the compact do then? Ignore the state? Then it’s not counting the “national popular vote,” and you are punishing that state’s voters if you choose to exclude them. It might be possible to pass a federal law forcing every state to release vote counts for each candidate in a Presidential election, but I don’t know how constitutional it would be.
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### Author:  [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2020, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prevent-this-election-nonsense-from-happening-again/924791/19 "2020-11-05T02:00:50Z")
> [@jsc1953](#):
>
> What should be done to make elections run more smoothly, with less drama, and with results known sooner? And what can be done with/without a constitutional amendment?
Vote in Democrats to run the state legislatures.
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### Author:  [@Onyerbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onyerbike)
#### Post date: [November 5, 2020, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-prevent-this-election-nonsense-from-happening-again/924791/20 "2020-11-05T02:12:18Z")
Get a Westminster system happening. If representation was a species then the WS has been highly successful in a wide range of environments.
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