Soldier dies while trying to vote during Civil War

[David Lockmiller]

I remember the 2000 election with both presidential candidates going back to Florida to campaign time and time again. And, of course, both candidates followed the polls in Florida religiously. It is an undisputed fact that the state of Florida is closely divided between Democrats and Republicans, although not evenly throughout the state.

In California, the largest population state in the Union, presidential candidates do not come to the state to campaign; the candidates for both parties come to California for fund raisers only. California has been a solid Democratic state for a very long time. It is an irony that a much smaller population state, Florida, is very much more important in any presidential election than is the largest population state in the Union, California.

It is often presumed that our "founding fathers" who created the Constitution were nearly infallible. However, on September 25, 1789, Congress transmitted to the state legislatures twelve proposed amendments, two of which, having to do with Congressional representation and Congressional pay, were not adopted. The remaining ten amendments became the Bill of Rights and were ratified effective December 15, 1791.

The Congress of the United States, meeting in the City of New York in 1789, introduced to the Legislatures of the several States the first twelve proposed amendments to the Constitution with these words:

"The Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added: And as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government, will best ensure the beneficent ends of its institution:"

I agree with Roger's statement: "I just do not see enough of the smaller states abandoning their extra electoral power."

I have made an argument that a constitutional amendment is necessary at this time for the continuation of this democracy as it should be, with every citizen's vote for the President of the United States counted equally.