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You pompous ignorant twerp. The phrase "free and fair elections" is *the* term used to describe legitimate elections, and has been ever since the first post-apartheid elections in South Africa in 1994. "Fairness" has always been a legitimate goal of an electoral system. It's why democracies have laws regulating election spending; vote counting; who can and cannot vote; etc etc.

Here's some help for you:
http://www.civicsacademy.co.za...
https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-...
http://archive.ipu.org/cnl-e/1...

I'm well aware of the *rationale* for the electoral college, although I'm not convinced you are -- you describe how the electoral college works (a bit) and assert it's better than a popular view, but you don't articulate why. In any event, whether you can articulate the rationale for an electoral college in any detail beyond "States!" or not, I am taking a different view from you on the soundness of the rationale.

Here is a dispassionate look at the arguments for and against an electoral college. I find the arguments against much more convincing.
https://uselectionatlas.org/IN...

In other news: there's no reason to ask for ID when voting in federal elections.

There really isn't, you should have had your identity determined when you registered to vote.

Umm, then how would you know the person voting is the person who registered?

You do realize that the UN standards for free and fair elections requires positively identifying voters:

(2) In addition, States should take the necessary policy and institutional steps to ensure the progressive achievement and consolidation of democratic goals, including through the establishment of a neutral, impartial or balanced mechanism for the management of elections. In so doing, they should, among other matters:

  - Ensure that those responsible for the various aspects of the election are trained and act impartially, and that coherent voting procedures are established and made known to the voting public;
  - Ensure the registration of voters, updating of electoral rolls and balloting procedures, with the assistance of national and international observers as appropriate;
  - Encourage parties, candidates and the media to accept and adopt a Code of Conduct to govern the election campaign and the polling period;
  - Ensure the integrity of the ballot through appropriate measures to prevent multiple voting or voting by those not entitled thereto;
  - Ensure the integrity of the process for counting votes.

So you're advocating a voting system that doesn't meet UN standards?

OK.

I hope they noticed my car, in front of my home, on election day. Like millions of others I vote by mail. Furthermore, there is probably an identifiable class of people who do that. A clear understanding of that segment of voters would interest those who pay for such studies more than the results of this ridiculous experiment.

How the hell do you know you vote by mail? How the hell do you know your vote isn't changed?

"Vote by mail" seems designed for vote fraud.

"Oh, but there is no voter fraud!"

1 - Yes, there is. Michigan's recounts in the 2016 Presidential election had to be stopped because there were more votes than voters in some precincts. Records: Too many votes in 37% of Detroit’s precincts

2 - There's no verification of who votes - something that UN standards for free and fair elections REQUIRE positive identification of voters along with the fact that they are allowed to vote.

Voter ID is "raaaaacist"!!!!

Bullshit.

1 - Why can't black people be expected to get a picture ID? YOU are racist for thinking that "Blacks must be held to a lower standard".

2 - Again - voter ID is required by the UN standards for free and fair elections.

Seems like it should be #1 to protect elections.

Non-whites can't be expected to be able to get an ID, you RAAACIST prick!

Heaven forbid the US should actually follow the UN's standard for free and fair elections:

4. The Rights and Responsibilities of States

...

      Ensure the integrity of the ballot through appropriate measures to prevent multiple voting or voting by those not entitled thereto;

...

"If you've done nothing wrong then you have nothing to fear"

- Words said before every dark chapter in history, ever.

Trump supporters are even dumber than we thought.

No, YOU are dumb. Hell, calling you dumb as a post is an insult to every acorn that dreams of sprouting, growing up, getting cut down, hauled to a sawmill, and getting hewn into a fucking post.

US elections don't even meet UN standards for free and fair elections:

(2) In addition, States should take the necessary policy and institutional steps to ensure the progressive achievement and consolidation of democratic goals, including through the establishment of a neutral, impartial or balanced mechanism for the management of elections. In so doing, they should, among other matters:

        - Ensure that those responsible for the various aspects of the election are trained and act impartially, and that coherent voting procedures are established and made known to the voting public;
        - Ensure the registration of voters, updating of electoral rolls and balloting procedures, with the assistance of national and international observers as appropriate;
        - Encourage parties, candidates and the media to accept and adopt a Code of Conduct to govern the election campaign and the polling period;
        - Ensure the integrity of the ballot through appropriate measures to prevent multiple voting or voting by those not entitled thereto;
        - Ensure the integrity of the process for counting votes.

(3) States shall respect and ensure the human rights of all individuals within their territory and subject to their jurisdiction. In time of elections, the State and its organs should therefore ensure:

        - That freedom of movement, assembly, association and expression are respected, particularly in the context of political rallies and meetings;
        - That parties and candidates are free to communicate their views to the electorate, and that they enjoy equality of access to State and public-service media;
        - That the necessary steps are taken to guarantee non-partisan coverage in State and public-service media.

The US in general doesn't require positive identification to vote. Try and utter fucking dumbasses like you cry, "YOU'RE A RAAAACIST", apparently because of their own racist beliefs that blacks are too dumb to get a photo id.

Try to even investigate if there is any voter fraud - even though there were precincts in Detroit in the last Presidential election that recorded more votes than registered voters - and you get DUMBASSES calling you names:

Records: Too many votes in 37% of Detroit’s precincts

Voting machines in more than one-third of all Detroit precincts registered more votes than they should have during last month’s presidential election, according to Wayne County records prepared at the request of The Detroit News.

Detailed reports from the office of Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett show optical scanners at 248 of the city’s 662 precincts, or 37 percent, tabulated more ballots than the number of voters tallied by workers in the poll books.

But utter dolts like you don't want any investigation into voter fraud?

Of course, because mandating a separate photo ID for voting only, which expires after a single election, and is only able to be obtained from a limited number of locales, some of which disproportionately placed in affluent neighborhoods is in no way thinly veiled racism.

Nice strawman.

Why are you against holding the US to UN standards for free and fair elections?

Those standards require states to "[e]nsure the integrity of the ballot through appropriate measures to prevent multiple voting or voting by those not entitled thereto;"

Why do you want the US to continue to fail to meet accepted international standards for free and fair elections?

Why do you want the US to continue to fail to "ensure the integrity of the ballot"?

The lack of positive voter identification means US elections don't meet UN standards for free and fair elections.

If that were true, you could push for reforms. However, none of the UN standards refer to a specific regulation for identification. What is your objection, then?

If anything, your mention of the word "free" is interesting... are there any forms of government identification that are free? I had to pay quite a lot of money for my passport, or driver's license, or state ID card.

I'd be all for voter ID laws... if the government automatically registered each eligible voter when they became eligble, and provided free ID to everyone.

The lack of positive voter identification means US elections don't meet UN standards for free and fair elections.

Nope. We're not allowed to require voters to produce identification.

"But there's no vote fraud!!!!"

HOW THE HELL CAN YOU EVEN KNOW IF THERE'S FRAUD WHEN YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO VERIFY WHO VOTES?!?!

The lack of positive voter identification means US elections don't meet UN standards for free and fair elections.

LOL!

It IS a joke.

Trying to implement the standards for a free and fair election per the Intra-Parliamentary Union in the US will get you labelled RAAACIST by "progressives".

DECLARATION ON CRITERIA FOR FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS

4. The Rights and Responsibilities of States

(1) States should take the necessary legislative steps and other measures, in accordance with their constitutional processes, to guarantee the rights and institutional framework for periodic and genuine, free and fair elections, in accordance with their obligations under international law. In particular, States should:

        Establish an effective, impartial and non-discriminatory procedure for the registration of voters;
        Establish clear criteria for the registration of voters, such as age, citizenship and residence, and ensure that such provisions are applied without distinction of any kind;
        Provide for the formation and free functioning of political parties, possibly regulate the funding of political parties and electoral campaigns, ensure the separation of party and State, and establish the conditions for competition in legislative elections on an equitable basis;
        Initiate or facilitate national programmes of civic education, to ensure that the population are familiar with election procedures and issues;

(2) In addition, States should take the necessary policy and institutional steps to ensure the progressive achievement and consolidation of democratic goals, including through the establishment of a neutral, impartial or balanced mechanism for the management of elections. In so doing, they should, among other matters:

        Ensure that those responsible for the various aspects of the election are trained and act impartially, and that coherent voting procedures are established and made known to the voting public;
        Ensure the registration of voters, updating of electoral rolls and balloting procedures, with the assistance of national and international observers as appropriate;
        Encourage parties, candidates and the media to accept and adopt a Code of Conduct to govern the election campaign and the polling period;
      Ensure the integrity of the ballot through appropriate measures to prevent multiple voting or voting by those not entitled thereto;
        Ensure the integrity of the process for counting votes.

Yeah - try applying those bolded words to elections in the US and you're RAAACIST!!!!

You still have to register to vote, you still have to have an address for them to send the little card that tells you where to vote, and you still have to show up and sign the paper with a signature that matches the registration form. Putting impediments in front of the ballot box, even as seemingly "good" as ID laws, is voter suppression.

Anyway, if your assertion that the ballot boxes are getting stuffed, it doesn't really matter who votes, right? So who cares? Oh wait, the Republicans care, because if a greater percentage of citizens voted, they would be thrown out of office instantly.

Wow. Talk about regurgitating the Kool-Aid.

Can you stop flinging the talking points and actually say WHY it's so bad to prove you are who you say your are when you're exercising one of the most important civil duties that exists?

With, you know, actual EVIDENCE to support your claims? Not links to the NY Times editorial page?

Can you?

Why do I strongly suspect the answer is a resounding, "NO!"

And you probably really think you're smart, don't you? Totally unable to articulate WHY you spout "VOTER SUPPRESSION!!!!!" whenever the thought of requiring proof-of-identity to vote comes up.

But yeah, you're SOOOO smart.

Sure you are.

Given that the International Parliamentary Union has published a guide for elections that states, in part:

4. The Rights and Responsibilities of States

(1) States should take the necessary legislative steps and other measures, in accordance with their constitutional processes, to guarantee the rights and institutional framework for periodic and genuine, free and fair elections, in accordance with their obligations under international law. In particular, States should:

Establish an effective, impartial and non-discriminatory procedure for the registration of voters;
Establish clear criteria for the registration of voters, such as age, citizenship and residence, and ensure that such provisions are applied without distinction of any kind;
Provide for the formation and free functioning of political parties, possibly regulate the funding of political parties and electoral campaigns, ensure the separation of party and State, and establish the conditions for competition in legislative elections on an equitable basis;
Initiate or facilitate national programmes of civic education, to ensure that the population are familiar with election procedures and issues;

(2) In addition, States should take the necessary policy and institutional steps to ensure the progressive achievement and consolidation of democratic goals, including through the establishment of a neutral, impartial or balanced mechanism for the management of elections. In so doing, they should, among other matters:

Ensure that those responsible for the various aspects of the election are trained and act impartially, and that coherent voting procedures are established and made known to the voting public;
Ensure the registration of voters, updating of electoral rolls and balloting procedures, with the assistance of national and international observers as appropriate;
Encourage parties, candidates and the media to accept and adopt a Code of Conduct to govern the election campaign and the polling period;
Ensure the integrity of the ballot through appropriate measures to prevent multiple voting or voting by those not entitled thereto;
Ensure the integrity of the process for counting votes.

How can anyone "[e]nsure the integrity of the ballot through appropriate measures to prevent multiple voting or voting by those not entitled thereto" without positive voter identification?

Whereas the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth...

In addition, historically, the issue of abortion was considered to be at stake in 1948 with the first DRC. The issue was left ambiguous, because on the one hand the rights of the child were affirmed from conception, while on the other the rights of the woman were not to be infringed as well. You might search here for "unborn" to see what I mean.

We may have sided with some real bastards in the Middle East in the early 1980's, but China's the one blocking action against everyone's favorite nascent nuclear theocracy in the UN Security Council.