Election Reform

The Yellow Line welcomed the formation of a bipartisan commission to examine problems with the U.S. election system. The Washington Post reported last week that former president Jimmy Carter and former Secretary of State James A. Bakers III will lead the bipartisan commission to examine problems with the U.S. election system. The Center for Democracy and Election Management at American University will organize the work.

Certainly President Carter and Secretary Baker can bring much needed credibility to the reform movement and the Yellow Line welcomes their involvement.

Here are a few recommendations for the commission to consider:
1) Rotating Regional Primaries for the Presidency;
2) Requiring media outlets to donate airtime for political advertisements;
3) Limits on expenditures in elections tied to the population of the contested seat (let’s make elections about who has ideas and who can communicate them, rather than about who can raise the most money);
4) The end of gerrymandering, ensuring competitive Congressional races;
5) Congressional representation for the District of Columbia; and
6) Restoration of voting rights for all felons who have been discharged from correctional supervision;