As the United States went through the 2018 midterms elections on Nov. 6, officials and voters were once again voicing concerned about the security and reliability of the nation’s voting systems.
When most people think of voting, the determining tally most of us think of is a simple majority. That is, whoever receives one more vote than half the number of voters is the winner.
When voting is mentioned in the United States, it’s a fair assumption that most people take that to mean that one person equals a single vote. After all, it’s the foundation of our system of democracy, right? Well, sort of.
In a political system that prides itself on the privacy of the vote, such as ours in the United States, it might seem unethical to assign your vote to another person because you can’t be present to cast it yourself. However, when the U.S. was little more than a collection of colonies with sparsely populated settlements, this process was tolerated – and sometimes encouraged – purely out of necessity.
When it comes to voting and accuracy, smaller associations and governing bodies have a decided advantage. Whether voting by voice, ballot or show of hands, it’s unlikely that anyone’s vote will get overlooked or improperly counted.
The nominating process for political office is, in many places, mired in traditions that don’t lend themselves to efficient and accurate voting.
As we gradually learn more and more about the extent to which foreign governments might have tampered with the 2016 election in the United States, governments and organizations that depend on voting are understandably concerned about how they’ll be affected by ongoing security issues.
Because the American system of government is one that relies on democratic principles, the system of governing by majority rule has naturally carried over into the non-governmental realm of our boards and associations.
One of the signs of a civilized society is the establishment of governing bodies to set and enforce rules for communities.
A modern version of this is the neighborhood homeowners’ association, which has emerged from the suburban expansion of housing developments and condominiums during the late 20th century.
There’s a reason fraternities and sororities refer to the first few weeks of college as “rush.” For those hoping to join a Greek organization at their school, it’s a fun but also hectic, stressful time.
