Fair Elections are Possible?

Question

Demand a open election not a hidden behind curtain election. have a public voting and have the media there to film it and have it seen all over.

Answer 1

That will never happen, nor is it a good idea for obvious reasons.

Answer 2

Capitalism and fair elections are at odds with each other. To answer the question of whether or not fair elections are possible, one must ask why it is that in a society dominated by working class people, wealthy capitalists run everything. No labor leader is even in the running for political office. Why not? The answer can be found in this excerpt from Albert Einstein's essay "Why Socialism."
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"Why Socialism"

Private capital tends to become concentrated in few hands, partly because of competition among the capitalists, and partly because technological development and the increasing division of labor encourage the formation of larger units of production at the expense of smaller ones. The result of these developments is an oligarchy of private capital the enormous power of which cannot be effectively checked even by a democratically organized political society. This is true since the members of legislative bodies are selected by political parties, largely financed or otherwise influenced by private capitalists who, for all practical purposes, separate the electorate from the legislature. The consequence is that the representatives of the people do not in fact sufficiently protect the interests of the underprivileged sections of the population. Moreover, under existing conditions, private capitalists inevitably control, directly or indirectly, the main sources of information (press, radio, education). It is thus extremely difficult, and indeed in most cases quite impossible, for the individual citizen to come to objective conclusions and to make intelligent use of his political rights.

Answer 3

Closed booths were devised to have fair elections. When elections were held by having people raise hands or move to one side of a room, the politicians were there to make sure that the votes they paid for were delivered. People were also afraid to vote for anyone other than the incumbent unless they were absolutely positive of beating him. Too many jobs were patronage. Secret ballots allow the voter to vote his/her conscience and not be intimidated by anyone.

Answer 4

The article linked below covers way more than you asked for. But I hope that you'll take the time and energy to read it. It's provacative but thought provoking, written by Lysander Spooner, a 19th century lawyer.

A pertinent excerpt from his paper:

"
Men honestly engaged in attempting to establish justice in the world, have no occasion thus to act in secret; or to appoint agents to do acts for which they (the principals) are not willing to be responsible.

The secret ballot makes a secret government; and a secret government is a secret band of robbers and murderers. Open despotism is better than this. The single despot stands out in the face of all men, and says: I am the State: My will is law: I am your master: I take the responsibility of my acts: The only arbiter I acknowledge is the sword: If anyone denies my right, let him try conclusions with me.

But a secret government is little less than a government of assassins. Under it, a man knows not who his tyrants are, until they have struck, and perhaps not then. He may GUESS, beforehand, as to some of his immediate neighbors. But he really knows nothing. The man to whom he would most naturally fly for protection, may prove an enemy, when the time of trial comes.

This is the kind of government we have; and it is the only one we are likely to have, until men are ready to say: We will consent to no Constitution, except such an one as we are neither ashamed nor afraid to sign; and we will authorize no government to do anything in our name which we are not willing to be personally responsible for.
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Answer 5

Until Americans who are middle class and poor come out from beneath their fear of the elected government and stand to make the elected officials act on behalf of the people, the vote will not matter to those elected because they have the power.
It's what they are counting on.
Why do you think 9-11?
Doodad

Answer 6

We will have a fair election when we have a paper trail to double check these stupid electronic voting machines.

Answer 7

A fair election is when people have a secret ballot.

Answer 8

Yeah. Who needs that pesky old secret ballot anyway

Answer 9

k