Title: Cracking down on people who vote twice.
Headings: People Who Vote Twice
People Who Vote Twice
A sudden crackdown on an old trick.
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Content: These problems have been around for ages—part of our democracy’s built-in tolerance—but they’re setting off alarms now because Florida 2000 changed how we think about voting. Voting used to be a kind of existential exercise. You voted out of a sense of civic responsibility, or you stayed home because you felt your vote didn’t matter. Either way, it rarely affected the outcome of an election. Advertisement
This time around, the vote has been fetishized. Florida 2000 “proved” to voters, particularly in the swing states, that every ballot is vitally important. More than ever, you’re reminded that if you register and vote, you could choose the next president. This message may subtly encourage cheating: Your extra vote, like Joe Moschella’s in Florida, may help alter the course of history. Advertisement
At the same time, the Florida fiasco also made it clear how imperfect the vote counting process is—like “measuring bacteria with a yardstick,” in mathematician John Allen Paulos’ phrase —and sends the signal that your vote probably won’t matter after all.