When our friends, colleagues and family members head out to vote on Election Day, there is always a sense of community spirit in the air. The democratic process is an integral part of society and should be made accessible to everybody, no matter what. Unfortunately, not everybody feel confident to head out and make their vote, which means a lot of votes have been wasted over the years. Every eligible person should feel able to make their mark without any hassle, but how can this be made easier? Encouraging people to vote is constantly in the forefront of the media, but there are a few ways in which the process could be made hassle free for all.
1. New Technology
There is something about putting a cross or a tick inside a box that seems quite ancient to us all. Why not shake up the way voting happens and use smart technology to create a smoother, simpler and most honest process. Smartmatic creates and offers voting technology and services designed to make elections more auditable and transparent. With their robust portfolio of election solutions it gives authorities all of the hardware, software and services they need to successfully manage each phase of the election process. They focus on designing technology that guarantees more efficient elections, which will improve the experience of all poll workers and voters.
2. Registration Help
Automatic registration isn’t in play in most states, however California recently automated their voter registration through the DMV. This means that when people review their driving licences or change their address, they are automatically registered to vote. This reduces a tonne of paperwork and hassle, so people are free to go out and vote whenever necessary.
3. Reduce Waiting Times
Understandably many people are put off the idea of voting as queues can get extremely long at the various polling stations. These long wait times are avoidable as long as the states can plan ahead and get the right resources in place before voting day.
4. Election Day Should Be a Holiday
If we were to make Election Day a federal holiday, people would see it as a much bigger deal. Most of the time it is a working day for most people, so it really isn’t convenient. If it was a holiday introduced by the national government people would have the day off work and have more chance to vote.
5. Make Early Voting an Option
Election Day is only one single day, where everybody is expected to make their way to a local poll. However, most people might not be able to get there on that day due to commitments, appointments and vacations. If every state offered early voting as an option, many more people would be able to cast their vote.
6. Improve Portable Registration
Most people will move house at some point during their lives and every time this happens you need to re-register. This means a tonne of forms and headaches every single time you move house. Portable registration means that voter’s registration could be kept active when they move within the same state.
With these six simple methods voting can be made much easier for the public and voters can feel at ease when Election Day rolls around.
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