The free and secret ballot is the most important element of a political system. I believe voting should be thought of as serious and sacred and treated that way.
Early voting weakens that ritual.
I suppose there are a number of reasons why some states are taking this approach. It is more 'convenient' for many. There is no 'waiting' or 'wasting time in line'. It increases 'productivity' and this is 'good for the economy'. It makes life 'easier'.
And so it goes. Take the Latin from the Catholic mass. Don't honor Washington's and Lincoln's birthdays with holidays that may fall in the middle of the week. Honor all the Presidents (even the bad ones) with a Presidents Day. Make it always on a Monday so we don't interrupt the work week and affect 'productivity'. That's bad for the 'economy' too.
All this, I say, makes the sacred ordinary, the valuable cheap, the human character weak, the system soft.
Just sayin'....
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As Lord Falkland said, "When it is not necessary to change, it is necessary not to change."
ReplyDeleteNice quote! New to me.
ReplyDeleteOf course, arrayed against this are the forces of Innovation, Creativity, Improvement, and Adventurism. All worthy human enterprises, but too often only seeming so.