As voting day approaches, many concerns are being raised about the confusion that will probably occur.
Without nationwide guidelines regulating the country’s voting system, disturbances have and will continue to take place.
Evidenced in Florida’s September preliminary elections, voters saw how decrepit the voting system has become.
They had to wait for hours on end, hoping in vain that they would get the opportunity to exercise their right before the deadline.
Those operating the polls could not better the predicament because they weren’t even trained well enough to handle problem situations.
The incompetence of the workers isn’t even the worst problem of America’s voting system.
Other dilemmas plaguing the United States are the possibilities of computer malfunctions and power failures.
With many states such as Georgia adapting the ATM style machines, the chance for problems has risen.
Though it seems that this would be a more efficient process, if even one glitch occurs, the whole system could go bottom up.
Also, the wide varieties of choices citizens have for casting their ballot increase the chance for problems.
Ranging from punch cards and levers to paper ballots and optical scanners, the disparity of a uniform system contributes to America’s plight.
President Bush has passed an election reform bill, but it cannot be enacted until next year.
As for now, he is encouraging voters to cast their ballots early to avoid mishaps. But even if they go beforehand, the hindrances will still be there.
It will just provide the officials more time to cover their backs.
Until the variances in voting processes from state to state and county to county have been amended, the United States of America will continue to be just the opposite –
Disunited.
-Dominique Drake for the Editorial Board