Kadoka High School
Kadoka, South Dakota
Teacher: Teresa Shuck
The Election Process
By Alex Romero
Grade 11
The election process over the years has become a selection process. The process has become too complicated. Presidents are being selected according to what wealth they possess, or whom they pay to support them. The complication exists in the way it is run. It isn’t the people who elect president, but the majority of the House. The people want to have a say in which they think will be the best leader of our great country. The election process should be changed.
The process of election has not been part of the people. It has become a selection process. It is based on money that the people give to make this country work. We choose a president who we think worthy just to be over run by the House. In the past more than one president has been elected to the seat with less popular votes. When we vote, we want to know that our votes count, and are not there just for enjoyment. The American people want to be heard. That is why we vote. The Senators in the House don’t choose the country’s leader it is the people. And when that is proven wrong, we begin to wonder what the future holds for the citizens. Is this country headed into communism?
The government has selected Presidents for our country without thought of the people. It is the popularity of the man. It isn’t the people’s choice. And the people who agree to such a selection are brain washed by the thought of taxes and money. A conservative president doesn’t mean he is conservative. It means that he will conserve thought for the country. They are interested in donations and contributions, but to keep this up it means the rich are getting richer; on our taxes.
In the past there had been fifteen elections of where the President elect won with less popular vote. The states would decide whom their citizen would vote for, which is just like dictatorship. And just because the state representatives want a certain candidate it doesn’t mean the people want the same man. Beside the point the representatives will be gone and we will still have to live with whom they choose for President. The people should have a say in which we want as president. If we get to choose who is president we will choose the man whom we deem worthy. We don’t want a man who was chosen for cutting the blood of our country. We want election and not selection of the president.
Majorities of young people do not choose to vote. If it is our right then we want to choose and not have somebody choose for us. We don’t want to have the president that is chosen for us we want to choose them ourselves. And besides that we don’t vote because of lack of choice. If they put a real choice on the ballot the country will see a turn around in young people in politics. If there was a choice I would get involved in politics. Right now I think we need to rethink our ways of election. We are sent to this earth to make a point and we make it, and we do not want to be suffocated by the political government. We need to include the people.
We often forget that this country is based on the people. The people are the ones who run the country and make it turn. Without the people we would not have the economic that we do. We need a leader who will govern this country right. We need a leader who will keep the people happy. Because we all know that the people are the heart of the country, we keep the blood (money) pumping. Without money our country would be dead. So let the people have a say in which they want in a leader. If we have a choice and a voice in our votes we will have the perfect economy. An economy which we want and enjoy living in for liberty and justice for all.
Questions
1. In 1796 the US elected John Adams president and Thomas Jefferson as Vice-President. This happened because the ballot did not classify which candidate was for president and which was for vice-president. Adams was a federalist and Jefferson was a republican.
2. Some people suggested that: The president should be chosen by lot. Originally only senators could run president this was in later proposal the states could elect a native-son candidate for casting lots. Later a direct-vote was proposed and defeated 21 to 12 in the senate. Electors were not required to vote for their state presidential selection. By 1826 an automatically be cast for the candidate who received the most poplar vote in that state. In 1848 a plan was proposed to portion the electoral votes according to the announcement of votes per state.
3. 1. James Polk, 2. Zachary Taylor, 3. Woodrow Wilson, 4. Harry Truman, 5. John Kennedy
4. The winner-take-all system gives all of the electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote in that state. Every state but Maine used this system.
5. They meet to elect on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December. In January after the votes were counted in both houses.
6. The house would decide who would win. It wouldn’t consider a third party.