Let's face it: Early voting is an abomination

The willingness to vote early, before all the innings are played, is an affront to democratic discourse. It signals that minds are closed to new information. That may be an accurate reflection of American politics — not only in our especially polarized era but in previous ones as well. Partisanship is an essential feature of our politics. But it’s not a vision we should endorse and institutionalize with early voting. Democracy, like a Hollywood movie, requires a certain suspension of disbelief. We know in reality that not every American’s vote is equal (if you have any doubt, ask Sheldon Adelson). Yet we behave as if that’s the case.

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Likewise, it’s important to organize our elections with the understanding that voters will adapt their thinking, and consequently their votes, to new information. The campaign debate isn’t over. Locking up our votes early is a tacit admission that we have also locked up our minds.

How can that be good?

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