None of the above

We experienced a provincial election in Alberta this week. CBC radio encouraged residents to vote. It was assumed the voting process was okay and all the apathy was loaded on the non-voter.

I think the voting process is fatally flawed. There is no structured avenue for a voter to reject every candidate. I always search for a candidate who will honor my trust. In five decades of voting, I haven’t yet found a candidate who lived up to my expectations. Much of my frustration originates with party politics where insiders manipulate the rank and file members into an agenda which violates my trust.

There is a solution. Place a line item “None of the above” on every ballot. When a constituency experiences a result where “None of the above” garners the most votes; a byelection shall follow in five weeks where none of the parties or candidates in the initial election are eligible on the byelection ballot. This simple process would provide real incentives to parties, individuals, and voters. Parties would be careful to advocate, and sustain, better policies. Candidates would face complete rejection. Voters would know their vote had meaning.