Hello.

I am new to this forum, so perhaps the topic of election reform has already been discussed, but I couldn't find it.  (If there is a good search engine within this forum, please offer guidance! - Thanks)

I just learned about Australia's voting system today... and I WANT IT!!!!!!!

They use the preferential voting system, which allows everyone's vote to count!

Rather than being restricted to only one selection, they RANK their choices, 1, 2, 3, etc.  If their first choice candidate is eliminated, then their ballot isn't simply tossed aside, as is the case in the USA.  (How often have you heard people say that they would love to vote for a particular candidate, but they hate to throw away their vote.)  In Australia, all the rankings are put into computers, and are calculated to determine the overall percentage garnered by each candidate!  If your first choice is completely eliminated, they use your second, or third, or fourth choice.  (For more detailed information, simply Google "preferential voting".)

What an awesome idea!!!!!!  Why have I never heard of this being promoted here in the USA.

I want to know how to become an activist supporting adoption of the preferential voting system, and eliminating the archaic "electoral college" completely!

I am determined to find like-minded people who want their vote to be relevant, and to open the possiblity of electing candidates who don't appear to have a chance, based on "polls".  I think polls and the media have way too much influence on the outcome of elections before anyone actually goes into the voting booth!!!!!!

In this particular election, with so many candidates, it would be awesome to have a system that allowed us to rank them!  But we are faced with an "either / or" choice.  I would dearly love to vote for Dennis Kucinich... but I'm afraid such a vote would be wasted, and would merely work in favor of Mrs. Clinton.  So I am faced with the dilemma of voting my true conscience or voting for Edwards or Obama, who might actually have a chance of defeating Hillary.  (Like many others, I just don't like Hillary... and I fear she is the one candidate that could ensure another Republican victory... and I just can't bear that thought!  The upside is that at least we KNOW we won't get 4 more years of Dubya!)