Wrenching democracy over the presidential election spectacle is the historical result of a destructively partisan two-party system. Indeed, we have what amounts to non-representative democracy in the United States. How much more divisive can we get? America is better than this...
If all the bickering and bitterness could pause long enough to take a look at the 12th Amendment, voters would clearly see what the election of the President and Vice President and the electoral college is really all about. The constitutional process simply has nothing to do with slates of two-party faithful electors in the states.
A closer look will reveal that combined partisan ballots for President and Vice President are actually unconstitutional. The 12th Amendment states, "The electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for President and Vice President;... they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in DISTINCT ballots, the person voted for as Vice President, and they shall make DISTINCT lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice President, and the number of votes for each..."
In effect, the 12th Amendment invalidates all voter's ballots cast for combined party tickets, which, other than write-in votes, is all of them. Clearly, it's time to re-examine ourselves, to repeal the 12th Amendment, and to make all elections nonpartisan. America is better than this...
Daniel B. Jeffs, founder
The Direct Democracy Center