I’m going to expend one of my Politics points for the year on this post.

This will leave me with 2 points when I’m done and this is posted. I’m fairly good at keeping politically charged statements to a minimum, so this won’t become the new norm.

You’re welcome to scroll on past, but I’d like it if you slowed down and gave it a read.

Also, this post is being monetized by Coil, if you have it. If you don’t, that’s okay: this is still something that should be read. Thank you.

To start, if I wanted to put myself in one of the containers out there, I am a person of color, a minority. I don’t care to, so I’m just a person, generally speaking. I’m also afraid on a daily basis, because I could end up not existing at the drop of a hat, just because I look different.

I end up typically eschewing politics in my country of residence, because they’re done poorly. Our voting system is designed in such a way to squelch the voices of the ones who need to be heard most, through gerrymandering districts to make their collective voices inaudible, revocation of the right to vote through means both creative and non-, through foul tactics designed to drive those who would try to earn their place to help their fellow countrymen out of politick, among other things.

We have a broken voting system that encourages that, with what little voice we have, to choose between evil blatant and evil cloaked, and not even try voting for that one voice of dissent and reason, with sound logic presented in a factual, fair manner. Why? Because the vote would be a throwaway with the current mindset of so many other voters in these jury-rigged districts.

It is of little wonder that voting feels useless in this age.

The entire voting system needs a burn-down and rebuild, stronger and better than it has been. A voting system that allows the people to rank their choices of candidates would be a good start in burning down a mental barrier for people to finally vote for a candidate they actually believe in.

A voting system that allowed for all people to submit their ballots via mail or designated drop-off points throughout their city or state, with no regard to reason for actually voting this way would be great. This is how the state of Oregon handles ballots: Every vote is cast by mail-in or drop-off site. We do not have polling booths that you have to gather at. There is no need, in the age of COVID-19, to have someone sanitize or fog or however you’d manage the cleaning process a ridiculous number of times in a day a voting booth. People can fill in their ballot in the privacy of their home, affording them the same (or honestly, greater) level of privacy that one would ask of a voting booth.

Even better, we have the time and tools available to us in the modern age to research an issue on the ballot, or a candidate, without dealing with snipe sign spinners standing outside as close to the polling places as they legally can, hoping to sway someone’s thoughts in a last second bid for attention.

Voting by mail and drop box should become the norm nationwide, rather than the exception. In areas where it just isn’t feasible to vote by mail (limited mail service, as example), another option would be needed. Whether it’s keeping the current go-to-the-polls setup, or developing and deploying something new, it’s something that needs to be gnawed at, feasted upon, and digested. We need to do better, and we are now in a time that brokers no argument to the matter. We must do better.

Until we can push and prod the system to go the right way, we must push the system with what tools we have. Voting is more than just a “Vote for this person to be our president” situation. They are a figurehead that can be noisome, yes, but until we remember to go back to every home game and away game — that means anytime something’s in the polls that we can vote for, research it and VOTE — we’re throwing away a chance to pull the power back into the hands of the people. We’re tossing our chances to actually change things away, and we need to stop blaming the folks who are capitalizing on it.

That’s my political point spent, and I get two more for the year.

Be safe, wear appropriate protection in all things you do, and take care.