³ÉÈËXÕ¾

DAVE ROSS

Ross: A creative solution to fix America’s election anxiety

Nov 18, 2020, 7:06 AM | Updated: 10:16 am

election...

Empty envelopes that have already been opened are bundled together at King County Elections headquarters on Nov. 3, 2020, in Renton, Washington. (Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images)

(Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images)

Elections are supposed to be the ultimate reflection of the will of the people, and yet I think we can all agree that measuring our will by making us submit 152,604,567 pieces of paper is creating far too much anxiety.

For example, the elections board in Wayne County, Michigan, because in some locations the number of voters didn’t equal the number of ballots. Some of the local counts were off by two, or three, or four votes, which doesn’t sound like much in a state that counted five-and-a-half million ballots.

But that’s our system for discerning the will of the people. If you can raise questions about the will of even a few of the people, the will of the rest of them suddenly evaporates.

Still, we can take heart – I predict that 50 years from now, none of this will be necessary.

Because in 50 years, the will of the people will be decided by our Fit Bits, which will monitor our pulse and perspiration as we watch TV and browse the internet, and will report to the local election board with complete objectivity which politicians see the world as we do.

Those politicians will then get a text message assigning them to the job that matches their LinkedIn profile, and then, best of all, when we get tired of them, they will be fired automatically by tweet. Much as we do now.

Listen to Seattle’s Morning News weekday mornings from 5 – 9 a.m. on ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

Dave's Commentary

Dave Ross on ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Newsradio 97.3 FM
  • to ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Newsradio weekdays at 5am for Dave Ross on Seattle's Morning News.

Dave Ross

Image: From left, Chris Sullivan, Dave Ross and Colleen O'Brien stand together in the ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Newsradi...

MyNorthwest Staff

Dave and Colleen’s final ‘SMN:’ ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ colleagues, politicians say their goodbyes

"Seattle's Morning News" on ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Newsradio will soon have a new sound. On Thursday, Dave Ross and Colleen O'Brien will host their last show together after a decade of co-hosting.

7 months ago

Classical literature on bookshelves. (Photo by Richard Baker / In Pictures via Getty Images)...

Dave Ross

Dave Ross as you’ve never heard him before: ‘I like fat books and I can’t deny’

"This song, inspired by one of my first interviews when I started my talk show, which was Sir Mix-A-Lot," Dave Ross said.

7 months ago

national debt...

Dave Ross

‘Don’t cut a cent:’ Dave Ross on why the national debt never gets under control

The national debt now exceeds $36 trillion, and every president says it has to be under control. And yet, it never is.

7 months ago

voters hormone...

Dave Ross

Ross: Voters weren’t just voting for change, they were voting for a hormone

The more I read the post-election analysis, the more I’m convinced voters weren’t just voting for a change – they were voting for a hormone.

8 months ago

ross o'brien - Seattle's Morning News...

Frank Sumrall

Dave Ross, Colleen O’Brien departing after co-hosting ‘Seattle’s Morning News’ for a decade

Dave Ross and Colleen O'Brien, the co-hosts of "Seattle's Morning News" on ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Newsradio are both leaving the show.

8 months ago

election day...

Dave Ross

Dave Ross: Election Day and Decision Day are two separate things

Tomorrow is Election Day – that’s what the calendar says. But there are two problems with the term "Election Day."

8 months ago

Ross: A creative solution to fix America’s election anxiety