Elections in America – not perfect, but close enough

In a little commentary on our new show Beyond the Ballot Monday (you can listen here), my one prediction was that the American electoral system would prove sturdier than many expect – that on November 6th by far most people who wanted to vote would get to, and those votes would be honestly and accurately counted.

And while there was plenty of angst and accusation about election tampering yesterday, America knew before midnight who its next president would be. That’s not because the system is perfect. It’s composed of so many different parts and governed by so many competing authorities that it’s hard to even call it a system.

But for all their faults, the laws and traditions that govern voting in America manage to get it right almost every time.