Vote differently

Our current method of voting, in a winner takes all, or "first past the post" system guarantees two party rule, absurd gerrymandering, and rampant corruption and gaming of the voting process.  There simply has to be a better way.

There is.  Or, rather, there are numerous different, objectively better ways to vote for our leaders.  All we have to do is get rid of the notion of voting for a particular candidate to represent you and your town in the national government.  Things simply don't work out that way in the real world.  Politicians don't represent their electorate - they represent whoever it is that they think got them elected - the donors and party organizers.  Then, there is the problem of the lack of term limits and the machinations of career politicians.  Johnny McRino, I'm looking at you, you two faced swine.

I propose that we alter the House of Representatives in the following manner.  Let me know what you think.

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1.  Each State shall have a number of junior representatives equal to the number of lawful permanent residents of that State in millions, with a fractional population of 500,000 or more counting as one whole million, with a minimum of one representative per State, regardless of population.

2.  Each State shall, not less than three months nor more than six months before the general election, hold party primary elections for every political party registered in that State.  A party shall be registered if, by no later than nine months before the general election, the party delivers to the State legislature (or its designated representative) petitions containing the valid signatures of no less than one half of one percent of the lawfully registered voters of that State.

3.  Each party primary shall contain a list of at names of potential representatives, not less in number than the total number of representatives to which that State is entitled.  No sitting representative may appear on this list.  During the primary election, each party's registered voters shall select the order by which these prospective representatives shall appear on a list in the general election.

4.  During the general election, each State's lawfully registered voters shall select a single political party.  Upon tallying the lawful votes, each party shall be granted a whole number of representatives from that State in accordance to the percentage of total votes received.  This number shall then be used to select the representatives from the list of candidates which were selected during the primary process, as listed on the general ballot, starting from number one.  Those selected shall serve as that State's junior representatives in the next Congress.

5.  During the general election, a senior representative shall also be elected for each State.  The list of candidates shall consist of the currently serving junior representatives.  Each lawful voter shall make one vote for their preferred candidate from this list.  The candidate who receives the most lawful votes shall be that State's senior representative in the next Congress.

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I also propose increasing the number of senators from each State to three, because the current lack of symmetry offends me.  Also, the senate needs more people to argue with each other and sit on committees.  And senators shall be chosen by the legislature of their State, and may be impeached and removed by a two-thirds vote of that legislature.  No person may be elected to the senate more than twice.

Each senator and representative must be a lawfully registered voter in that State, having been a resident of that State for at least ten years prior to election.  Representatives must be at least thirty years old at the time of election, and senators at least forty.  Senators and representatives must be free citizens of good moral standing who permanently reside in their home State (which should be the standard for registered voters).

I toy with the idea of having an additional representative or senator chosen by lottery from among the lawfully registered voters of each State, to serve in each two year Congress.  I'm not sure, but I'm leaning towards including them in the senate, to keep an eye on the career politicians and provide more warm bodies for committees.  After all, can a randomly chosen free citizen possibly be worse than the despicable lot we endure now?

How, then, to elect a president?  National popular vote is an option, but this sways the election to the largest cities, ignoring the will of the people in enormous swaths of the country.  We could have a proportional vote with multiple candidates from each party, with the winning person getting the presidency, the first runner-up being the president of the Senate, the second runner up being the speaker of the House, the third would become secretary of State, and the fourth runner up would become the secretary of War.  In this case of five total winners, each voter could have two or at most three total votes to distribute.  This would help ensure than minority voters would still obtain representation among the most powerful positions in the nation.  Ir would also help ensure that the people in the most powerful positions come from different parties, ensuring partisan bickering and gridlock.  This would be a feature, not a bug.

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While we're on the topic, let's discuss the Supreme Court.  It obviously needs to be changed.  Right now, it acts with impunity as the senior actor of the government, overriding the will of the people, the executive branch, and even the plain written words of the law and the constitution itself to suit its members' whims.

I propose that the Supreme Court shall consist of fifteen jurors, each to serve a single fifteen year term in rotation.  A new juror shall be selected by a majority vote of the Senate in the month of June of each year.  If the Senate fails to select a juror, the House shall select one in the month of July by majority vote.  If the House also fails to select a juror, the President shall appoint one in the month of August.

Jurors may be impeached and removed by a two-thirds vote of either the House or the Senate.  In such an event, a replacement juror shall be selected to serve the remainder of the term by majority vote of the Senate in the following calendar month.  If the senate fails to select a juror, the House shall select one by majority vote the following month.  Should the House also fail to select a juror, the president shall appoint one in the next following calendar month.

Any ruling of the Supreme Court may be overturned by a three fifths vote of either the House or the Senate.

The Supreme Court shall make no ruling in opposition to the plain language of the constitution.  If, in joint session, a two-thirds vote of Congress agrees that the Supreme Court has violated the constitution in a particular ruling, those members of the Court which approved that ruling shall be immediately arrested and removed from the Court, and each member shall then be executed by their own choice of hanging or firing squad within thirty days, sentence to be carried out by the secretary of State in front of witnesses in the national capital region.  Their replacements shall be selected as set forth above.