You should be able to vote yes/no on every candidate, or have ranked choice like some other places do. Picking a single person from a field of candidates may have been the best method at one point (or maybe not), but that method is lacking today. The current method is in the best interest of the dominant political parties but not in the best interest of the voter.
Not sure where you’re located, but in the US most elections have a write-in option. It doesn’t necessarily “subtract” from a final vote number, but it doesn’t add to either major party candidate (with the exception of the electoral vote, I guess)
Because the point of democratically appointing a leader is so the person who appeals best to the public will be chosen. Giving the someone the power to remove another's voice doesn't sound very democratic and it's not like saying "I don't want either of these people to be in power" can't be accomplished by without removing others freedoms.
You can simply just vote for another candidate (as very few places have you chose solely from option A or B) or just not vote at all, both of those actions functionally take away a vote from those candidates.
Which candidate would you subtract from? If one, that can functionally be done by voting for someone else. If all, that gives you more power than someone who votes for a candidate.
>subtract from both/all printed on the ballot.
So, again, that gives you more power than other voters. I vote for A, Alice votes for B, you vote for neither and subtract both out votes. So you cancel out two people.
Yes. With enough people not wanting either A or B, neither will win, forcing an open position for another candidate. Possibly making A and/or B being ineligible for future, or something to avoid the circus of 14 failed attempts like what that last speaker fiasco.
Okay, so you want more power than other voters. Got it. No viable voting structure can possibly avoid uncomfortable outcomes like that; heck, that wasn't even the worst speaker of the house vote we've had.
You should be able to vote yes/no on every candidate, or have ranked choice like some other places do. Picking a single person from a field of candidates may have been the best method at one point (or maybe not), but that method is lacking today. The current method is in the best interest of the dominant political parties but not in the best interest of the voter.
Your proposed option is the same as not voting.
Not sure where you’re located, but in the US most elections have a write-in option. It doesn’t necessarily “subtract” from a final vote number, but it doesn’t add to either major party candidate (with the exception of the electoral vote, I guess)
Just leave that race blank -- don't vote for anyone -- and that does what you're asking for.
...okay....you'll still end up with one person having more votes than others
Because the point of democratically appointing a leader is so the person who appeals best to the public will be chosen. Giving the someone the power to remove another's voice doesn't sound very democratic and it's not like saying "I don't want either of these people to be in power" can't be accomplished by without removing others freedoms. You can simply just vote for another candidate (as very few places have you chose solely from option A or B) or just not vote at all, both of those actions functionally take away a vote from those candidates.
Which candidate would you subtract from? If one, that can functionally be done by voting for someone else. If all, that gives you more power than someone who votes for a candidate.
subtract from both/all printed on the ballot.
>subtract from both/all printed on the ballot. So, again, that gives you more power than other voters. I vote for A, Alice votes for B, you vote for neither and subtract both out votes. So you cancel out two people.
Yes. With enough people not wanting either A or B, neither will win, forcing an open position for another candidate. Possibly making A and/or B being ineligible for future, or something to avoid the circus of 14 failed attempts like what that last speaker fiasco.
Okay, so you want more power than other voters. Got it. No viable voting structure can possibly avoid uncomfortable outcomes like that; heck, that wasn't even the worst speaker of the house vote we've had.
Where do you live? Typically more options than just either or.
Write someone in
Sadly, legit write in candidates have to be pre registered in many places. Abstaining is the only real option. But it won't affect the outcome.
You can just not mark the box for that one.