Trego's Mountain Ear

By definition, Irish Democracy doesn’t include organization.  It’s the casual, non-conspiratorial violation of unacceptable laws.  This last time around, looking at the election law, we found section 7 which allowed – some might say even encouraged – voters to write in a candidate when only a single party’s candidate was on the ballot.

Instead of getting more candidates and election choice, my letter to the Secretary of State seems to have led to section 7’s repeal – 97 to 3 in the house, and 49 to 1 in the senate.  My representative and my senator were both in the majority – opposing election choice. 

So now, the only part of the law that discouraged single candidate elections is gone.  Interestingly enough, Zooey Zephyr was one of the minority who voted to keep it – representing me better than either Mike or Neil.  Your best political representation isn’t always your neighbors, or even neighbors with whom you mostly agree.

Since we can no longer write in a candidate against the unopposed politicians – who are, even if our friends, winning unopposed elections, much like Joe Stalin did – we still have the option of Irish Democracy.  It’s simple, almost elegant.  Continue to vote as if the election really mattered.  Then only use your vote when the candidates have opponents.   The result won’t change – the unopposed candidate will still win – but if we continue to cast ballots, and not vote for unopposed candidates . . . well, it should encourage opposition if an incumbent returns to Helena with 87 votes from an election where thousands of ballots were cast.

P J O’Rourke said “Don’t Vote – It only encourages the bastards.”  If we make a point of not voting for the unopposed, it should encourage the opposition.