Archived Opinion

Voting issues not hard to solve

To the Editor:

The mere length and involved reasoning of your editorial reveals a level of nuance that makes issues such as the captioned insoluble.

In stuff like this, I’m a fan of Occam’s razor: The simplest solution with the fewest assumptions is probably the best. So, let’s do this:

On redistricting: Have computers draw the lines with the sole purpose of making them contiguous and compact.

On IDs: If such there must be, issue IDs to every occupant of the U.S., with clear indications of citizenship and voter eligibility status. For free.

From time immemorial, we have concerned ourselves with race, creed and tribe, creating a slow-moving, quasi-stasis, always to the detriment of the just operation of a republic.

If a reaction to the above begins with “But what about (some group) ...,” it would be reasonable to inquire as to whether we really want an objective solution, preferring instead to continue the present system but with different controlling forces.

Jim Graber

Franklin

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