Does Your Vote Count

As Canadians, we grow up believing that we live in a democracy. In school we are taught about the importance of exercising our right to vote, and that the politicians we elect to the House of Commons are there to be our representatives - to give voice to the concerns of their constituents and to give ordinary citizens a say in how the country is governed. Does Your Vote Count? demonstrates just how far Canadian government has strayed from this democratic ideal. Using excerpts from interviews with current and former politicians, civil servants, and academics, author Paul Kemp argues that, in many important ways, our vote does not count. In reality, only one person holds almost all of Ottawa's decision-making power: the prime minister. Backbench MPs, and even many Cabinet ministers, have little or no influence over government policy. Moreover, party discipline is so strictly enforced that MPs rarely express opinions or viewpoints that differ from the party line, either in House debates or in parliamentary committees. Perhaps most alarming, the ability of Parliament to scrutinize government spending has been severely limited. Does Your Vote Count? challenges us to take a closer, more critical look at how well our government and electoral system are serving us as Canadian citizens. We may still have the right to choose who sits in the House of Commons, but how meaningful is this right if the people we elect into office have been stripped of all power and influence?

"Paul R. Carr has produced a rich and impressive examination of the multiplicity of relationships among notions of democratic formation, critical pedagogy, human rights, anti-racism, and feminist, anti-colonial, political and cultural studies. Drawing from a deep well of intriguing and eclectic sources..., he moves with clarity and elan between the brood and the narrow, the general and the specific to capture the power of theory without sacrificing the nitty-gritty of concrete practice. A balance of possibilities rather than false dualisms will be found here. Does Your Vote Count? has become an essential contribution to my own work and teaching." ---Tom Wilson, Chapman University --Book Jacket.

For many of us, the presidential election of 2000 was a wake-up call. The controversy following the vote count led to demands for election reform. But the new voting systems that were subsequently introduced to the market have serious security flaws, and many are confusing and difficult to use. Moreover, legislation has not kept up with the constantly evolving voting technology, leaving little to no legal recourse when votes are improperly counted. How did we come to acquire the complex technology we now depend on to count votes? Douglas Jones and Barbara Simons probe this question, along with public policy and regulatory issues raised by our voting technologies. Broken Ballots is a thorough and incisive analysis of the current voting climate that approaches American elections from technological, legal, and historical perspectives. The authors examine the ways in which Americans vote today, gauging how inaccurate, unreliable, and insecure our voting systems are. An important book for election administrators, political scientists, and students of government and technology policy, Broken Ballots is also a vital tool for any voting American.

"Every 4 years the interest in politics surges due to the election for the president of the United States. Everybody wants change on one hand, while others seek preservation... In this Mini Book I will shed light on the truth about voting. The history and knowledge of what voting truly encompasses, may leave you questioning if your vote really counts... "

Election Insiders is an entertaining journey into the inner workings of voting, focusing on the people behind the scenes—the mapmakers, poll workers, warehouse crew, signature sleuths and others who do this democracy-defining work. In a lively, reader-friendly narrative, election workers at all levels share the ups, downs and unexpected challenges that make election day tick. Some of their stories are alarming, others are amusing, and many are reassuring. Bilchik’s thorough reporting encompasses more than a year of in-depth interviews and off-the-cuff conversations, examination of public documents, attendance at board meetings and equipment demonstrations, hands-on training, and live election day observations. The result is a one-of-a-kind glimpse into a backstage world that we voters usually don't see, but one that we all depend on to keep elections fair and secure.

Voters in a democratic society should have confidence in the electoral process. Yet, as Americans have witnessed in every election since 2000, voting-the basic act of citizenship—is under assault: technologically complex, subject to manipulation, and fiercely contested on many levels. Documenting the areas of collapse in the American electoral process, this book analyzes ongoing problems in the casting and counting of ballots, as well as new threats: future elections could be compromised by new voting machines that are unreliable, poorly programmed, and prone to tampering. At this critical moment for American democracy, the author issues a call for urgently needed reforms.

This election season promises to be among the most contentious ever. In addition to a presidential campaign featuring no incumbents, this election will turn on a handful of pivotal issues presently confronting American voters, the consequences of which likely will influence the direction of our nation for decades to come. Each of the major issues that is likely to form the basis of the national debate in this election season is explained here in a style that is easy to access and understand. This anthology of present-day issues will fortify you with the biblical perspective on which to base your decisions. With the Bible as the ultimate source of answers, you can be sure that your decisions will be grounded in faithful stewardship and godly obedience. This book is not about being a Republican or Democrat; it's not about endorsing candidates or telling you how to cast your vote. It simply provides a biblical foundation upon which to make voting decisions that will both honor God and best serve our country in 2008 and beyond.

Covering subjects from the Humanities curriculum the Mac Australia Topics books combine brilliant photography and visual literacy elements with authoritative text matched to students reading ability.Text Type: Information ReportReading Ages: 8.5-10 years

If you're one of those people who are trying to make heads or tails out of the Electoral College, if you want to know the strategies of electing the President of the United States, or if you are simply hoping to grasp a better understanding of the necessity of the Electoral College. Then this book is the answer. We will study the history of politics in America and the role that the Founding Fathers played and how they leveled the playing field of the Presidential voting. You are about to have those daunting questions answered. We will discuss in painstaking detail how we elect our President and why the system is better than any other system anywhere else in the world right now! This new Book - "The American Presidency...A Country Divided" - gives you the answers to the important questions and challenges that every American faces when they are debating the legitimacy of their own vote. Your vote does in fact count, every vote counts. So let's take a look at: -Making heads or tails out of the Electoral College. -Why in our system we NEED the Electoral College to make every vote count? -Is the election process really fair? -How can a candidate possibly win the popular vote and lose the general election? -How many times has the Electoral College cost a candidate the election that had actually won the popular vote? -And so much more. So, in this book "The American Presidency...A Country Divided" you will find all the facts explained in simple to understand terms exactly how the election of the President of the United States takes place. Why our system is in fact the best system in the free world to guarantee that each state has an equal vote through the use of the Electoral College, and why changes to the system would be a big mistake. You need to grab a copy of "The American Presideny...A Country Divided" right now, because electing the president of the United States is not a task to be taken lightly.

The 2020 campaign began with the 2016 election of Donald J. Trump and effectively rendered a verdict on his presidency. The Democartic Party sifted through a small army of worthies to defeat Trump and in former Vice-President Joe Biden they found their champion. Biden claimed the nomination following a phoenix-like rise propelled by a miraculous South Carolina primary victory. Backed by the party establishment and the mainstream media, Biden’s weak campaign proved sufficient by a handful of votes in a handful of states and leaving Biden with little mandate other than to avoid being like Trump. The story of the 2020 election is in part a story of America and the Trump presidency, a stormy marriage of highs and lows shaped by contrived investigations into Russian government interference, a failed impeachment, a welcomed intolerance for sexual harassment, the exposure of deep racial divisions highlighted by widespread and often violent rioting accompanied by a re-examination of the role of the police, a strong economy until crushed by the coronavirus pandemic, and then the pandemic tragedy itself. The Trump presidency’s four years astounded, for better or for worse, depending on point of view. This book chronicles the 2020 election and thus the events that shaped the election over the course of four years, written contemporaneously to capture the flavor of the moment, praising and criticizing Trump and his many antagonists in equal measure. Those enamored of the former president will find succor and outrage, as will those who delighted in his defeat. Those seeking to understand what happened will find the reading interesting, infuriating, and perhaps in places, illuminating.