This Friday finds Mrs. Animal and yr. obdt. in San Diego, where we have some local business to transact, after which we’ll enjoy a warm and sunny Friday afternoon and Saturday far from the chilly environs of New Joisey, to whence we return on Sunday.  It may be daffy old Californey, but at least it’s a change of scene.

In the meantime:  After thinking a little about this week’s post on electoral shenanigans, I have an idea.  Let’s propose an amendment to the Constitution!

Yes, I know.  It’s a wild shot in the dark.  The Constitution is hard to amend on purpose, and this amendment would have the blue states lined up against it from the start.  Plenty of folks in the red states wouldn’t like it, either.  But anyway, here it is, my proposed 28th Amendment, the Electoral Integrity Amendment:

1. All voters shall be required to identify themselves via government-issued photo ID or biometric to a certified election official prior to casting any vote.
2. All votes must be cast and entered by the actual voter.  Voting by proxy and delivery of ballots by third party is prohibited.
3. All votes will be cast on one day, that day being the first Tuesday in November, excepting special elections, recall elections and runoff elections.  Absentee voting is allowed for military members and persons working outside the country.
4. Citizens and residents who have been on any form of taxpayer funded public assistance within the twelve months prior to the election day are denied the franchise.

That last one in particular would cause a RHEEEEE that you could hear from orbit.  But let’s look at each part:

1. This is voter ID, but modernized.  A while back I proposed a few ways to modernize our voting system that this amendment specifically allows for, namely a biometric ID as part of a validated, secured online system.  I can’t believe that the high foreheads at the NSA can’t come up with something at least as secure as our present system, which ain’t saying much.  And I can think of only one reason anyone would object to making voters identify themselves prior to voting.
2. No more “ballot harvesting” horseshit.  Each state can work out systems for invalids and so on, but everyone must cast their own vote.  Note that an online biometric system would make it much easier for, say, senior citizens and the severely disabled to cast their votes.  And biometrics joined to a validated, secure database would eliminate multiple voting shenanigans.
3. Election day is election day.  If you don’t care enough to show up at the polling place – or open a damned app on your phone or computer, if we go that route – then you shouldn’t be voting.
4. I’ve proposed this before, in my Manifesto among other places, but as a matter of principle, if you ain’t get skin in the game, you cain’t have a say in how things are run.  I’d want to work out the details to exempt retirees, disabled veterans and so on, but that can be handled.

So, True Believers – thoughts?  Additions?  Subtractions?