Clean and fair: 20 problems with American elections and what we should do about it

The United States used to take pride in its democratic electoral process.  Citizens writing letters to their government representatives was an honored civic duty.  Today, it is divided between the country of Democrats and the nation of Republicans; and our democracy has dwindled in the controversy.

Here are many problems encountered by Americans this present election cycle:

1. Partisan state Secretaries of State, local elections officials and US Supreme Court
2. Electronic voting machines that were, and will be, hacked to corrupt the vote count; ballots aren't counted before the public
3. Unlimited secret money fueling federal candidate campaigns
4. Attack ads to total in the billions of dollars this election cycle
5. Robo calls-- automated, computerized, unsolicited phone calls to potential voters conducted by many candidates across the country
6. Registered voters are to present a Voter ID, sometimes with picture, before they can vote
7. Many states don't have same-day voter registration service for voters on General election day
8. Two-party-rigged state congressional redistricting after each 10-year US Census
9. Winner-take-all "first past the post" election system-- the election winner can win by a mere plurality-- or less than 50%-- of the people that voted
10. Two-party dominated ballot access state regulations, that vary across the country
11. The Federal Election Commission is hijacked by a major national party
12. The red shift Election Poll "Adjustment Process" that falsely affirms the election winner
13. The US Senate voted against the [campaign finance] DISCLOSURE Act
14. Anti-petitioning regulations; and they vary from state to state across the country
15. The major political parties' national nominating conventions are financially supported by the taxpayer
16. Presidential candidates devote almost all campaigning to several battleground states
17. US Senate candidates don't electronically submit their FEC campaign reports
18. Big presidential campaign contributors get preferentially hired for Administration posts
19. The entire voting system (machines, supply, counting) is controlled by commercial companies
20. General election day is held on a Tuesday; some states don't have Early Voting days

If we are to enjoy confidence in our voter registration, voting and counting of those votes, we must return to a national culture that values a clean and fair electoral system and process.