Comment Text:
I urge you to reject allowing gambling on elections. To do so would serve to undermine democracy and weaken the foundation on which this country was founded.
The salient question is: who benefits? Obviously whoever manages such a gambling enterprise and then, in addition, whoever wins the bet. The latter incentivizes gamblers to act to sway things in their direction. Some ways of doing that are illegal and could result in penalties. If they are caught. But likely would not nullify an election result. Other means are quasi-legal. Permissive laws pertaining to political PACs immediately come to mind. It comes as no surprise that to anyone that the amount of money available in campaign funds and political PACs have an enormous effect on the outcome of an election.
Who does not benefit is the individual voter. What does not benefit is trust in the integrity of our elections. What does not benefit is the integrity of our government. What does not benefit is the state of our nation.
It is true that we would still retain representative government. But who would be represented? Not the citizens of the United States. Allowing gambling on elections is a very bad idea. I urge you to reject it.
