As I sit here, channel surfing the various networks to get the latest update on the 2020 Presidential election, it is painfully obvious that our election process needs some serious revamping. Let’s start with all the money spent on polling.

I followed many polls leading up to the election and, when all was said and done, most were not even close (i.e. Collins v. Gideon). Now look at the dollars spent on media ads for our US Senate race: $150 million? How totally absurd is that?

And I guess the last thing I believe has to be changed is the absentee ballot process. I’m all for absentee voting but if one decides they want to go this route, it shouldn’t be too much of a burden to get your ballot in four business days before the day the polls open to cast votes.

In addition, states should be able to begin processing the ballots at least one week before Election Day. It is absolutely crazy that President Trump called for all counting to be stopped after election night when there were states with millions of ballots that they could not begin to count until Election Day.

My 8-year old grandson was really following and had so many questions, a great thing. But some answers didn’t make sense to him – imagine that. I kept explaining that things were just a bit different in this year’s election – actually a lot different.

John Hackett
Kennebunk

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