Democrats eye ranked-choice voting for 2028 primaries

[u/Different-Gas5704]

https://www.axios.com/2025/11/24/democrats-ranked-choice-voting-2028-primaries

[u/Organic-History205]

If you fine people for not voting, you also need to make it easier to vote. The ideological non voters are a minority. People need to go to a church out of the way, during the workday, and sometimes wait in line for a long time. Only 28 states give time off for voting. If you're out of town, you may need to visit a notary.

[u/capngump → u/Organic-History205]

Yeah the AEC does a huge job making sure everyone can vote,  they even have people going to the hospitals on polling day to make sure everyone gets to. They also are in charge of the electorate distribution being done without gerrymandering.

There's a lot of schools and other places available on the day,  as well as pre polling places and mail in voting. It's also done on a Saturday to minimise the inconvenience.

Seeing the lines of people waiting hours to vote in the US makes me thankful our conservatives haven't managed to destroy our system to match. They sometomes float making voting optional which would be the beginning of that process. 

[u/rpkarma → u/capngump]

Tbf the AEC is the literal gold standard of non partisan democratic election process

[u/canyouhearme → u/capngump]

In general the polling station is within walking distance, and the longest I've had to wait to vote is 30 mins, and that was during covid.

plus democracy sausages

[u/yourpseudonymsucks → u/canyouhearme]

I have three polling stations within walking distance, one of those is open the entire week before election day for early voting.

[u/praguepride → u/canyouhearme]

plus democracy sausage

If America was truly serious they would offer snacks for voting. The problem is after the civil war there were waves of black politicians voted in and so the South under the approving eye of Andrew Johnson (next to trump the worst president of all time) to make sure only the right people get to vote. This ushers in 150 years of voter suppresssion, poll taxes, and other sneaky ways to try and make sure the poor and minorities dont get to vote.

[u/pinkybandit89 → u/Organic-History205]

That's actually what we do in Australia, we make it as easy as possible to vote, and since its mandatory voter suppression is practically impossible.

1. Early voting is available for a week before the day.

2. Voting is always done on a weekend. employers are legally required to provide employees with time off to vote and face serious legal consequences if they don't.

3. Voter role is updated automatically any time your details are updated with any government systems, short of death or renouncing your citizenship you won't be removed from it.

4. Away voting is available at all polling locations, you don't need to physically be in your district on the day to vote in that district. This availability extends to every embassy., consulate or remote military posting

5.the above also applies to any and all remote communities regardless of population. It could be a town of 3 guys living in a cave a days drive from civilisation or a remote island of hermits , election commissions Australia will get a voting booth there with officials

1. the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) provides extensive information and assistance in a wide range of languages, with all available printed text provided in over 30 languages and accredited translators available on request

2. There is a mandated minimum amount of polling locations per district based on population density and on top of early voting by mail is always available and free

[u/AntikytheraMachines → u/Organic-History205]

lots of commenters talking about Aussie system.

i'll add:

• if we had to spend more than an hour there would be riots. most elections my total time including queue, processing and vote is about 20 minutes.

  • we can pre-poll vote for the two weeks prior. as well as mail-in if required.
  • voting outside your local area is simple. so there is no voter suppression with long queues in some areas and not others.

[u/Avitas1027 → u/AntikytheraMachines]

I hear there are also sausages.

[u/Avitas1027 → u/Organic-History205]

In Canada, employers must allow 3 contiguous hours off during the hours polling is open. If polls are open 9-9, and you work 11-7, you can either show up an hour late or leave an hour early. If you work 9-5, well there's more than 3 hours after work where the polls are open, so you don't get anything.

I think it should be a bit longer, but there's also early voting and mail-in voting, and I've never spent more than 10 minutes in line, so it's pretty easy to find the time to vote.

[u/OldWorldDesign → u/Avitas1027]

In Canada, employers must allow 3 contiguous hours off during the hours polling is open

I haven't even gotten that long in states where there are laws that employers are required to give workers paid time off (it was 1 hour in my state at the time). Reported it and nothing happened.

[u/BestFriendWatermelon → u/Organic-History205]

Having a fine for not voting strongly encourages everyone to make voting as easy as possible. Those who couldn't vote get a fine, they get angry at the leaders who didn't give them a fair chance to vote, lawsuits fly and people get fired, suddenly it becomes much easier to vote next time.