Politics is getting a massive makeover from the skilled and able hands of technology – and a few ticked-off Americans. This reinvention is taking form in a remodeled voting process and has manifested as the organization Americans Elect.

The nonpartisan and nonprofit Americans Elect aims to extinguish the problems in politics that stem from partisan practices. It does this by offering an alternative to the traditional voting process for the first time. Those who want a voice in the selection of America’s first truly directly nominated candidate can do so through AmericansElect.org.

In essence, the organization wants to take the party lines, grids and squiggles out of the voting equation so that voters make their choices based on the honest-to-gosh stance of candidates, uncorrupted by their parties. By allowing American citizens to vote in online party-blind primaries, the organization plans to narrow down and offer a third official presidential candidate on the ballot come November. The requirements for candidates? Nothing other than they must choose a running mate outside of their own party pool.

Nick Troiano, the national campus director for Americans Elect, believes the driving idea behind the organization needs the rallying power of technology.

‘This idea of new leadership outside our two-party system wouldn’t be possible without leveraging the technology we have at our fingertips today,’ he said.

He believes the marriage of technological and political innovation is paramount in this endeavor. The former has the ability to bring people together online to go through this nominating process. The latter can place a third official candidate who can be voted on nationwide on the ballot.

What’s particularly impressive about Americans Elect is the rapid pace at which it managed to permeate the political arena. Even as recently as one or two elections ago, Americans Elect’s outreach in such a brief amount of time would have been impossible without the continual backing of popular media and prominent figures. Thanks to the Web, that’s no longer the case.

‘With today’s tools, you can circumvent the traditional media to get your message out,’ Troiano said. ‘We went from zero people in July 2011 to hopefully millions of people just a few months from now. No one knew a year ago that this even existed.’

What’s particularly intriguing is the precedent that Americans Elect could set if it is as successful as it has the potential to be. This entity, no longer small enough to dismiss as something fleeting, was borne of the ability of people who saw flaws to take action and set things right. Technology in the hands of the masses is a force to be reckoned with.

Troiano sees this coupling of constructively discontented people and the tools of technology as the catalysts behind this breakthrough.

‘Today, barriers to communication and coordination have drastically fallen,’ he said. ‘So it’s much easier for people who are frustrated with the political system to find each other via online networks and get together and take some sort of collective action.’

Those organizing around candidates and issues are finding a North Star in Americans Elect. It’s a guiding platform where they can take action outside of the rigid and convoluted maze of our political party system.

With Americans Elect and the power of the Web, every registered voter can be a delegate and every eligible American citizen a candidate. With life, liberty and the pursuit of the end of partisan shenanigans, America is changing one online vote at a time.

Jessica Smith is a senior information management and technology and television, radio and film dual major. Her column appears every Tuesday. She can be reached at jlsmit22@syr.edu.

Published on March 26, 2012 at 12:00 pm