So asked Ole Kristian Strom of VG, Norway's largest daily newspaper. Part of a delegation of journalists here to learn about our elections, Strom was surprised that legitimate U.S. citizens cannot simply show up at the polls on Election Day, flash an identification card, and vote. It gets worse, I told Strom. This year, registration is but one of many hurdles that voters must leap.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Registration requirements, of course, were erected by officials who calculated that the fewer numbers of first-time voters, the better their chances of re-election. Jiggering (and flouting) election rules has always been part and parcel of campaigning, pitting ballot-stuffers against ballot-drainers.
Election 2004 introduces a triplet of challenges. There's something …
No comments:
Post a Comment