GEOFF PENDER: Maybe we should draw straws for all offices
Mississippi elections are never dull, even when we pointy-headed politicos predict they will be.
Somebody breaks into a nursing home or gets locked in a courthouse; an unknown truck driver gets a surprise gubernatorial nomination or, as in the case of the House District 79 race, a tie has to be broken by drawing straws…
…There are valid arguments against flipping coins or drawing straws or Scrabble tiles to break election ties.
The main one is: It’s kinda stupid. …
…The arguments for choosing governance by lot go back to the roots of Democracy. In ancient Athens, “sortition,” or a lottery was often used to appoint politicians. Aristotle was a proponent of it. We still use it for court juries.
What could be more democratic, more of the people, by the people?
ClarionLedger
11/28/15
Magnolia Tribune
