“The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.”
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States regarded integrity as the supreme quality one must possess in order to be a good leader. Fast forward 63 years from the beginning of Mr. Eisenhower’s tenure as Commander in Chief and we find ourselves thrust into a presidential race plagued by never constant questions regarding integrity and trust. From Hilary Clinton’s corruption filled past, to Donald Trump’s constant changing of heart on pivotal issues, the integrity of all parties seems to be at the forefront. In fact, the integrity of the very voting system used in the presidential selection process has been questioned on multiple occasions.
So where does this leave us moving forward? If integrity is questioned, a system or individual will forever be seen as corrupt by the masses leading to its ultimate downfall.
While integrity questions have surrounded politicians at many times throughout history, a population wide questioning of the integrity of the very voting system which is responsible for giving every American a voice in the voting process has just recently become a concerning issue.
Sixteen years ago, questions regarding vote count in Florida were surfaced during the Bush v. Gore election which led to some feeling their votes were not counted correctly. While disconcerting, this was an isolated incident. In 2016, an isolated incident would be deemed unworthy of news coverage given how this race has unfolded so far.
Back in the primaries, supporters of Bernie Sanders campaign to become the Democratic nominee began questioning if their votes were being counted correctly. They argued that while voter turnout seemed to be high, the poll numbers seemed far less grandiose than expected. While it is still uncertain to whether any wrong doing was committed, Donald Trump has recently reignited the dwindling flame arguing that the general election has already been corrupted by the Clinton campaign and the establishment. Following Trump’s comments, voter confidence in the system has greatly diminished. In a Pew survey originally reported by the Wall Street Journal, only 38% of Republican Trump supporters feel confident that their vote will be accurately accounted for come November.
Having wide scale questions regarding the American voting system’s integrity is, in my opinion, the first crack of the deterioration of the United States political system. If people feel that their vote will not be counted, they will be less inclined to vote. Voter turnout is integral to any voting system as a true representation of the population can only be achieved through a large enough sample size. Full deterioration of the system then occurs as less people vote for candidates whom are not the favorite to win, feeling that their votes will be discounted. This will the discourage new candidates from entering future races, which will ultimately lead to the perceived favorite running unopposed. The system then becomes a pseudo-dictatorship run by the establishment.
How do we stop this future from becoming a reality? You start by increasing voter confidence and restoring faith in the voting system. You have unbiased media sources (or at least equally numbered sources siding with each party). You increase the transparency into how votes are tallied. And you condemn those with a history of corruption. Only then will voter confidence be at 100%.
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The Educated Millennial 