Election Process, Time Lapse

It is important to note that the method just described defines a process of selecting representatives. At present, our elections are events; they are a circus, with barkers and hucksters proving "There's a sucker born every minute." They are media stunts, selling packaged goods. The public can't inspect the packages, so they get damaged goods ... with no provision for return.

Here, we're discussing election as a process ... a process by which every candidate is carefully examined before being selected.

The election process will take several months. The Election Commission will set the starting and reporting dates for each level. Here, as well as I'm able to display tabular data, is a rough outline of the time lapses for an election cycle:

Level 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11)

Start 02/07/07 02/14/07 02/21/07 03/07/07 03/21/07 04/11/07 05/02/07 05/30/07 06/27/07 07/25/07 08/22/07

Report 02/12/07 02/19/07 03/05/07 03/19/07 04/09/07 04/30/07 05/28/07 06/25/07 07/23/07 08/20/07 09/17/07

Days 5 5 12 12 19 19 26 26 26 26 26

Electors 5367378 1789126 596375 198791 66263 22087 7362 2454 818 272 90

Selected 1789126 596375 198791 66263 22087 7362 2454 818 272 90 30

Note: Observant folks may spot a difference in the counts of electors selected from the table in the previous post. I made a digit transposition error in the level 1 division in the first post and have corrected it in this table. Mea culpa.

The Election Commission groups participants randomly. In addition, to the maximum extent practical, it also groups them geographically. The intent is that neighbors make their selections from among themselves. As the levels advance, this requirement recedes and participants are given more time to evaluate the others in their group.

Groups at the first two levels have 5 days to select one member to represent the other two. At levels 3 and 4, they have 12 days. At levels 5 and 6, they have 19 days. After that, each level has 26 days to make a selection.

I emphasize that the table is intended as an illustration, only. An actual implementation will require detailed knowledge of the public offices to be filled and may differ in several ways from the depiction above. The role of the Election Commission is to work out these details.

Starting at about the 5th level, I anticipate that the Election Commission will provide each group with meeting facilities, meals and such group activities as recreational outings. This insures the participants are exposed to each other in a relaxed atmosphere as well as in the more formal setting of detailed discussions.

Fred