From an article in CITY&STATE by Morgan Pehme.
Currently the state of Nevada offers “None of the Above” or NOTA as an option on its ballots, as do Greece, Colombia, Ukraine and Spain.
NOTA played a noteworthy role in drumming the Communist incumbents out of office in per-Solidarity Poland, as well as in the fall of the former Soviet Union.
If we are to attract better candidates, candidates we want, rather than candidates we are forced to accept, voters must be given an opportunity to clearly demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the choices foisted upon us. NOTA is the means to that end.
Here’s how the system should work. If NOTA garners a plurality of the vote in a given race, then that contest should be rerun, with all of the candidates originally in the field disqualified from again seeking that office. This process would be repeated as many times as necessary, until the electorate settled on a candidate whom it liked better than nobody.
Even if states chose to implement NOTA as it works in Nevada, if NOTA wins, the second-place finisher is declared the victor, it would still be worthwhile, because all but the most tone-deaf of politicians elected in that scenario would have no choice but to be more circumspect in how they approach their office, and responsive to the people who undeniably refused them a mandate.
NOTA is a simple mechanism that should be embraced by concerned citizens for it provides the people with a way to oust do-nothing incumbents, punish topically negative campaigning and, above all, demand more from our government in the voting booth.
Democracy is about choice. It’s about time all options were on the table.
How would your version of NOTA work?
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote!
Michael H. Drucker
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