Andrew Yang is an influential entrepreneur and civil activist, and former long-shot Democratic Party presidential candidate. He’s on a mission to use mobile voting to increase voter access and participation in the United States. As founding co-chair of the newish Forward Party, Yang is deeply committed to bettering voter turnout. He thinks that bringing mobile voting to more jurisdictions would decrease political polarization.
Yang was recently featured on Euronews Business’s podcast “My Wildest Prediction.” He made the case for the importance of mobile voting to building a more inclusive and representative electoral process with evident passion. He pointed out that in the 2022 primaries, only 21.3% of eligible voters participated, highlighting the need for systemic changes to address low turnout rates.
Mobile Voting as a Solution
For Yang, mobile voting could be a game-changing political force. It would provide a captivating new alternative in a dynamic hybrid in-person/remote voting scheme. He emphasizes that mobile voting will not be required. It can be a powerful tool to democratize the electoral process and engage a new generation of voters who are comfortable with mobile technology.
“That’s why we have to improve accessibility, so that you can expand the franchise.” – Andrew Yang
Diaz himself thinks increased participations would make a huge difference on the US primaries. It’s no wonder that these elections produce a limited slate of candidates due to the paltry participation from voters. Yang mentioned that a more representative electorate would have impacted the kinds of candidates making it through the primaries. He reiterated the necessity of an engaged electorate in determining political outcomes, particularly a racial and demographic diverse electorate.
Addressing Concerns About Security and Stability
Despite the purported benefits, security experts have raised serious concerns about the security of mobile voting systems. Yang has a great understanding of these fears. Yet he contends that they stem less from real security concerns than from an unwillingness to upend the deeply entrenched two-party system in American politics. This, he claims, is why the current political framework needs structural changes to answer the most important economic questions our country faces today.
“We’re looking for a hero or a villain to save us, a person to change everything, but what’s required is changing the underlying system.” – Andrew Yang
Yang’s mobile voting advocacy is a natural fit with his big-picture vision of freeing American democracy from corruption and regressive practices. Rather than focusing on smartphones as an enemy of democracy—though they can sometimes be seen this way—he argues that these advancements can be used to promote democracy.
“Smartphones have been a net negative in terms of the functioning of democracy in America and most countries; it’s about time they did something good.” – Andrew Yang
A Vision for the Future
Looking to the future, Yang believes that Americans should be able to vote on their smartphones within the next eight years. He thinks that if the US were to fully embrace mobile voting, the tide would be turned on the current elections dynamic. This change would lead to increased public participation.
Yang’s proposals reflect a desire not just for increased participation but for a fundamental rethink of how democracy operates in America. He emphasizes that embracing innovative solutions like mobile voting could help tackle some of the major challenges facing the nation today.
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