V-O-T-E in the USA

V-O-T-E in the USA

July 27, 2026

I think we can all agree that the right of the citizens to vote for their local, state and national representatives is sacrosanct. I think we can also all agree that the same is true for the right of citizens to run for office. Even better, the nation’s social, electoral and political systems should encourage the best among us to seek to run for office. In fact, a diverse set of approaches, philosophies and political parties should be encouraged. In addition, we can all agree that the voting system should be accessible, transparent, above reproach, highly trusted if you will, ensuring that the votes of citizens are accurately tabulated in a timely manner and according to rules that make sense. We can all agree, as well, that voting (a tenet of democracy) is an important part of the freedom we enjoy.

Now things start to diverge. Let’s talk about this because for some people some things just don’t align with the statements in the prior paragraph.

Number 1) A democracy is just one component of having freedom.

Whenever I hear someone, think politician, blather on about protecting democracy, I get concerned and not because I disagree with the statement. But it is not clear to me that any adult citizen in the USA, unless they are a felon in some states, is actively prevented from voting. Is there a history of people not being allowed to vote or being hindered from voting? YES! But, hundreds of millions of people from all walks of life have fought so that everyone can vote and they won some time ago.

Voting in a democracy is just one component of freedom. The founders of the US, certainly not perfect human beings but neither are you and I, understood that it is freedom that must be protected and that is best done by having a democracy (it took time for all of us to be able to vote), maintaining a republic (where power is de-centralized), enshrining a constitution (which preserves freedoms that shall not be infringed by anyone including a majority of the people themselves, politicians and the government), having a 3-branch federal system to force checks and balances on politicians and a federal government located where people and politicians within that jurisdiction can’t leverage power over it (called Washington, D.C.).

This was brilliant then and it still is now and it still separates us from other nations in the world as a beacon of freedom. They knew that voters can vote away freedom and politicians will all too gladly oblige because they like centralized power that they control. We’re talking about human nature observed in action for thousands of years that is still relevant today.

Number 2) It is possible for the people to elect representatives who aren’t interested in their freedom.

In fact, many of them are interested in your control and their freedom. It’s hard for the average person to accept that there are people running for office (or in office) who are obsessed with your control. The reason is simple, you don’t think that way and neither do most, if not all, of the people around you. But these people are real and dangerous. They gravitate to politics. Remember Willie Sutton, the famous bank robber of the 1930s, 40s and 50s (of course you do)?  Once after being captured a reporter asked why he robbed banks. Willie replied, “because that’s where the money is…” Well, guess where the power is…

The following are serious red flags that tell you that a politician hates your freedom and wants to control you (that should result in your vote going somewhere else):

1. the protecting democracy schtick (already discussed)
2. you don’t have the right to self-defense – called gun-control (this should be evident but will be discussed in a separate article)
3. rich people aren’t paying their fair share and we need to tax them more or confiscate their wealth so we can buy votes (oh wait, they usually don’t say that last bit); btw, to them everyone is rich
4. someone is oppressing you, here let us oppress them for you while we also oppress you (oh wait, they usually don’t say that last bit)
5. you don’t have a fair share and life is unaffordable (I’ve seen many people go from rags to riches or even just living a good life and there is no better place outside the USA to do that, which deserves its own article)
6. more government programs are needed to protect your freedom (it’s actually the opposite)
7. no reason for us to look into voting irregularities, it’s fine as far as we’re concerned wherever we’re in charge (oh wait, they usually don’t say that last bit)
8. no reason for us to look into how your taxpayer dollars are being spent, it’s fine as far as we’re concerned wherever or whenever we’re in charge (oh wait, they usually don’t say that last bit)

Number 3) Only citizens should be able to vote.

Otherwise, there is no nation. All the hard work and sacrifice you, your family, your friends, your co-workers and your ancestors devoted to making this a better society and country are meaningless if anyone can vote for your elected representatives.

There is one group of people in the country obsessed with allowing non-citizens to vote, Democrats and their allies. Recent relevations in New Jersey about non-citizens being registered to vote is not an accident and only the tip of the iceberg across the country. I have not cited a reference here or have any inside information but time will tell. I find it interesting that New Jersey, a Democrat run state, admitted to this fraud. Something pushed them to admit this and they decided to jump first to manage the information. Lots of other Democrat run states have said nothing. Perhaps mum is the word.

Some voters and politicians obsessed with power think these people will always agree with them and even do what they are told. Oh beware! This is very foolish behavior and can easily turn on the very people who, arrogantly, thought they would always be in control.

But worse, this is an in your face, regardless of philosophical or political persuasion, disregard and disrespect to you. Imagine, if you will, what is being attempted right now:

1. one political party and their allies want non-citizens to vote – this has been stated and pursued
2. there are over 8 billion people in the world and just over 338 million in the USA
3. if they can get enough of these people here then they can get them registered to vote, expecting it will keep them and their allies in power
4. but they don’t have to get these people here because they have mail-in ballots – get the picture

How do you like your democracy now, citizen, with a side of f*** off?

Number 4) There has to be a structure to voting which minimizes routes of fraud.

This helps to actually protect democracy for the citizens. Do politicians and their allies commit fraud in voting? Of course they do. My gosh many of them are power hungry human beings who often have low ethical standards and they exist in every persuasion. But for some reason, one group is hell-bent on not pursuing the most common-sense things to protect democracy for the country, Democrats.

I went to graduate school at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign well over 30 years ago. My neighbor, for a couple of years, was also a graduate student in political science and worked in the Democrat party. One evening, after a couple of drinks, he shared how they managed to ensure elections would go in their favor and referenced a recent election in Illinois. I thought this took a lot of balls but there was no concern about being caught.

On election day by mid-afternoon, somehow they knew who had not come in to vote or wasn’t likely to vote (maybe they knew who the dead voters were). Teams would drive around in vans and pick people up off the street to go vote. They would pay them with a few cigarettes or a few dollars or both and they had to claim they were so and so and vote the Democrat ticket. Today, we have mail-in ballots where the security feature is deciding whether or not there is a signature match. That’s nonsense. Some of my signatures are a hard match. So, you can imagine just where this is going or is at already and it doesn’t protect your sacrosanct vote or democracy.

Recent news headlines referred to “people on the street” in Los Angeles being paid a few dollars or cigarettes to register to vote. I suppose they also filled out a mail-in ballot. While these people weren’t pretending to be someone different (I’m assuming here), one political party definitely has figured out how to pay a likely uninformed person (no judgment here) to vote for them. By the way, we’re going to stick it to working people and give you goodies from their hard work. We call that informing the voter. This apparently tried and true approach continues onward.

While I’m hesitant to agree with something simply because lots of countries do it, in this case it makes sense. Out of the 195 countries in the world, 176 require presentation of either a specific voter ID or some form of ID to vote which proves you are citizen (Global Voting Systems Overwhelmingly Require ID and Restrict Ballot Practices, Data Shows – [your]NEWS). Many of the countries from which recent immigrants have arrived (illegal or legal) actually require presentation of some type of ID to prove you’re a citizen in order to vote, including Mexico. Wow! I vote in New Mexico and no one asks. They call this inclusive because if an ID were required that might hurt some people’s feelings which might include, well, non-citizens I suppose. Mexico doesn’t seem worried about that.

I might also include that keeping a paper ballot around, for comparison against electronic/computer-based systems, is wise. Fortunately, virtually all states do this and they deserve credit for that.

Now there is a piece of legislation being pushed around right now in Washington, D.C. called the SAVE act. I’ve not read it so can’t comment much on it other than I have read (3^rd party) articles stating that an ID proving you are a citizen is required to vote. This is a slam dunk assuming getting an ID is very accessible and low or no cost to the recipient. Now, people should be given a year or two to get this ID because 30-40% of the population will need some extra time but this is not that hard. There are lots of things you do that require some documents plus forms to fill out: a driver’s license, being employed, starting a business, applying for loans, applying for SNAP, signing up for medicaid or for medicare, etc. For some reason, one group wants to have less secure voting than Mexico, Democrats. I hope I have informed you about protecting your freedom.