Maybe it's a high school class or sports team, or maybe it's a professional association or a seniors group. And maybe they're electing a leader or deciding how to spend membership dues or where to have a special event. So they take a vote.
Everyone agrees that each member should get one vote and that all should abide by the majority decision. It seems so simple – and it would be, except for all the exceptions.
There are some brand new members who just joined, and the more senior members question whether they should be enfranchised so soon, suggesting as a compromise that their own votes be weighted more heavily.
There are some non-members who regularly participate in the group's activities and think they deserve to have a say in the decision. What to do about them?
And there are some absentees – in whose stead present members are willing to cast an additional ballot, affirming their certitude as to how the absent party would vote.
Eventually, all these issues are resolved to everyone's begrudging satisfaction, a secret ballot is conducted, and a self-appointed member of the group counts the votes and announces the result, which just happens to be what that particular person wanted all along.
Would it surprise you that some members are skeptical of the results and demand a recount in full view of the entire group? That the original, self-appointed tallyman takes umbrage at the questioning of his integrity? And that the recount renders a wholly different result?
Washington Park mayoral candidate Terrilyn Gossett is skeptical about the results of today's election before the polls even opened. She's thinking the outcome may have already been decided, what with the number of absentee ballots requested this time being nearly equal to the percentage of total votes cast in the last election.
This continuing election game of “Let’s Pretend” needs to end.