Offsite Post: ‘Justice for the Hinterland’

 

The classical definition of justice is giving “to each his due.”  This is clearly not happening in the context of elections in the United States, where the electoral power of the urban centers trounces that of the rural areas.  Results from several elections in 2022 illustrate this glaring injustice:

- Montana Referendum 131: Require Care for Infants Born Alive

This measure failed by a slim margin, 52.6% of voters said No, 47.4% Yes.  However, the county breakdown is revealing.  Only 12 counties voted No, while an overwhelming 44 voted for it.

- Kentucky Amendment 2: Remove Right to Abortion from State Constitution

Another slim defeat, 52.3% No votes vs 47.7% Yes votes.  But the county breakdown is extremely lopsided – 20 counties voted against, but 100 counties voted to approve it.

- Missouri Amendment 3: Legalize Marijuana

53.1% of voters were in favor; 46.9% were opposed, with another lopsided county result:  Only 14 counties approved; the other 100 counties were against the amendment.

- Arizona Proposition 309: Increase Voter ID Requirements

50.9% of voters were against it; 49.1% in favor.  Only 3 counties disapproved; 12 approved.

- US Senate: Oz vs Fetterman in Pennsylvania

The same pattern holds.  Fetterman wins with a slim majority of votes, 50.9%; Dr. Oz with 46.6%.  But Oz won 54 counties, while Fetterman won only 13.

This list could be extended ad infinitum, but we think the point has been made:  The “blue” urban centers wield an unjust amount of electoral power over the “red” rural areas.  This imbalance needs to be corrected and quickly. 

The Left has no qualms proposing and implementing complicated and confusing electoral schemes like ranked-choice voting and ballot drop boxes that favor its candidates.  The Right needs to respond in kind with its own reform to even out the disparities between city and hinterland.  And the most obvious proposal is to make electoral victories in Statewide elections dependent not on a simple plurality/majority of individual votes, but rather on winning a majority of counties/parishes within each State.

 . . .

The rest is at https://thehayride.com/2022/11/garlington-justice-for-the-hinterland/.

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Holy Ælfred the Great, King of England, South Patron, pray for us sinners at the Souð, unworthy though we are!

Anathema to the Union!