Heads or Tails?

[MrChuck]

WARNING: OPINION FOLLOWS
I have a lot of respect for our traditions. To me they highlight unique aspects of culture. That makes them valuable to the extent that we should consider the past as we are whisked forward trying to shape a future that is always happening faster than we can believe. Tradition can comfort us but it can hamper us as easily when we allow it to command matters of gravitas.
Tossing a coin to decide a victor in a detailed and contentious local caucus may have charm and it may even be fair but it is certainly a trivialization of a process that pretends to afford passion and compelling ideology a larger role than do simple ballot casting elections.
I think it's fair to suggest that it's time for standardized voting in the US. Individuals should reserve the right to cast their vote without standing in a clump and hoping that their neighbor doesn't have a smudge on their eyeglasses as they count raised hands.
Nor should decades of ideological formulation and public service on the parts of all candidates, debated by their supporters to a point of impasse, be supplanted in force of decision making by an arbitrary and unverified means of resolution. In an attempt to save time it wastes it.
The caucus would, ideally, remain a part of the process too. In the interest of preserving that tradition I would love it if people gathered in such large numbers to discuss their government's role in their lives. I just also think that their votes should be counted individually.
Maybe caucuses could decide baking competitions and coin tosses could resolve a tie in voting for the homecoming queen. However, our votes for policy makers, for representatives that could decide whether citizens live or die in the next war or receive urgent care under the next phase of our health care system, should be counted and held as the standard unit of support for a candidate nationwide

[PatrickforO]

1. Harder to cheat in a caucus than it is in a primary where you can

manipulate the vote count. Although, by all reports Hillary and her people managed to cheat in last night's caucus. Doesn't say much about what kind of president she'll be, does it?

[cwydro]

6. This is just so funny.

Really?

[MineralMan]

2. Coin tosses are used in some states when

there is a tie in an election. Most states allow that. Here's an example, with a video:

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/video/coin-toss-decides-election/1980049516001

It's an old traditional way to settle ties of most kinds.

[jonno99]

3. Ok, you've vented. Now, how do YOU propose to resolve a tie? nt

[MrChuck]

4. I propose that...

...in a caucus a tie goes back to discussion phase. A period of time should pass before another count is taken.

If, after that period of time passes there is still a numerical impasse then the delegate should be halved. The statistic is what matters anyway and in over a thousand precincts we could expect the halves to resolve in many cases. If they didn't then the delegates could caucus again before submitting their ultimate vote.

I actually don't think the caucus itself is a good method for voting, as I stated in the OP. I understand that some people believe that its harder to cheat that way and that may even be true. Because there are ways to cheat in an individual balloting is no reason to dismiss the method that the majority affirms. The challenge, rather, is to make individual balloting cheat proof. Unfortunately that only serves voters, not politicians or their patrons so you know how enthusiastic the parties would be to submit to that.

[jonno99]

5. Fair enough - thx for the reply...nt