Assembly Style Policy Plebiscite Voting

We already do that to some degree. We have “Yes” or “No” policy proposals on the ballot, and the voters can directly affirm a proposed addition to the law.

I suggest putting several policy ideas on the ballot and asking this: Which, if any, of these ideas, would you most like to add to our state laws?

None of the above would be one of the choices, and the other four choices could all be very good ideas. So which one do you most like?

This allows the voters to make law directly and it’s like a poll. But instead of being an abstract intellectual statistical poll, it is a concrete, actual, factual addition of a preferred policy, or none of the above, to state law. It’s an event, not just data mining, or opinion polling. It’s not “What do you think the legislators should do somehow, someday. It’s what DO YOU add to state law right here, right now this minute, or none of the above, if you prefer that.

Voters who have no idea what they want, can still be legitimate voting. I am a snob, but I have no snobby things to say about such people. I am a live and let live sort of person. So, it’s OK to not be very political, or have any political ideas.

But, the more benefit you can provide voters, who show up and vote, the more of them you will have. With four very good ideas on the ballot, you could get a benefit, a bigger benefit, or a very big benefit by adding a ballot proposed legal clause directly to state law. In any event, you will not go far wrong, or do much damage.

Said proposed additions should NOT be associated in any way with any party, or with the Independent designation. There should be nothing to distinguish the ballot proposed addition beyond its contents — the meaning of what it says. People who can’t read, can just get guidance on this section of the ballot, which will be published before Election Day. Or they can just not fill in that part of their ballots.

I want voting to have some of the features of a democratic assembly Athens. But with better paper. The Greeks were the highest and best culture the world ever saw. Being guided by them is a good thing, not a bad thing. We already do some plebiscite style ballot measures. I’m just perfecting a few details, and offering a format that will maximize the thoughtful contribution of voters to their own governance. The consent of the governed can be given directly, as well as through “representatives”. We live at a time when many of the representatives turn out to be crooks, like Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden. So, making consent more direct, and not going through such people would allow people to feel better about their obeying the laws, and respecting the laws.