Dear Friends:

This election year has been long and painful, filled with acrimony and crazy falsehoods.

Are you, like me, ready to get some sanity installed in the political process? I believe we need to press for sane and sensible elections across our country.

First: The electoral season, by law, could be limited to a clear two-month period nationwide. A date for finishing the vote count better than some long process for mail-in ballots. The way we vote should be narrowed to either a personal vote at a poll or a mail ballot received by the date specified for the election.

Second: We need to get out of the campaign finance business. No TV ads, no signs, no jingles more than two or three weeks before a voting date. Limit the cash and shorten the season.

Thirdly: Our candidates need to be scrutinized before they get on a ballot. Political parties need to step up and require some things before they endorse. Candidates should be people who are known for integrity and public service. We need healthy citizens with clean finances before they are ratified through a nomination process. Parties ought to be held accountable for their candidate’s actions and statements, maybe even financially penalized for allowing a candidate to lie or present libelous accusations against an opponent. We can check out candidate records and histories before we vote using partisan information if it is factual and real.

Fourthly: All our votes should count, and that means no electoral college. A clear majority of votes should be sufficient without “intermediaries” in a few states far away from our regional concerns.

Laws and regulations are serious business, and we need politicians and a voting process that is serious about what is done to our lives.

Sarah Woodmansee

Steamboat Springs

To reach Lisa Schlichtman, call 970-871-4221, email lschlichtman@SteamboatPilot.com or follow her on Twitter @lschlichtman.