Sandifer: 3 changes to SC ballots that would encourage smarter voting

Three changes in the way we conduct elections could lead to a more informed electorate and eliminate a potential bias in the voting process.

1) Eliminate the option for straight-ticket voting, which allows a voter with the press of a single button to cast a ballot for all the candidates of one party. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, straight-ticket voting has been declining, and South Carolina is now one of only 10 states with this option.

Straight-ticket voting encourages voters and candidates to adhere to a strict party ideology rather than giving consideration to each candidate’s qualifications. The Alvin Greene fiasco appears to have been exacerbated by the straight-ticket option. An analysis by The State revealed that only a small percentage of the more than 360,000 votes Greene received in the general election were cast specifically for him; the bulk of them were straight-ticket votes. Eliminating the straight-ticket option could encourage voters to consider the qualifications of candidates as well as their positions on issues of interest.

2) Randomize the order of the names on the ballot rather than listing them in alphabetical order.

Listing primary candidates or general election parties in alphabetical order may inject an unintentional bias into the election process. Uninformed voters may select the first name on the list when they do not know anything about the contest, a problem that also might have contributed to the Greene fiasco.

3) Eliminate party designation on general election ballots. Our country has become almost paralyzed by partisanship. Omitting the party affiliation would go even further than eliminating straight-ticket voting in encouraging voters to consider candidates’ qualifications and positions rather than voting merely on the basis of party preference.

This story was originally published July 30, 2015 at 7:42 PM.