My book club's 'democracy' system just fell apart last night

We've been using a rotating vote system for picking our monthly reads for three years, but last night someone rigged the ballot by passing around a pre-filled list during the wine break. I watched three people just check boxes without reading the actual novel summaries we provided. What do you do when the group's own rules get exploited by the loudest members?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_kim1mo ago

Whoa, "passing around a pre-filled list during the wine break"? That is next level sneaky. I'm shocked nobody called them out on the spot. Once people have had a couple glasses, they'll just follow whatever looks official. I would have been mad if I saw that happening, especially after you guys all put work into those summaries.

jordanblack1mo ago

That pre-filled ballot trick is classic steamroller behavior. They make it look official and rush people through it so nobody second guesses. Next time, ditch the paper ballot and do a blind vote on slips of paper collected in a hat. Or use a secret online poll before the meeting. Takes the social pressure out completely.

-1

ray_miller841mo ago

Hang on, I get what you're saying about the social pressure, but a blind vote in a hat sounds like it could get even messier. People might just scribble something random or not even participate if it feels too informal. The pre-filled ballot is shady yeah, but at least it keeps everyone focused on the actual choices instead of turning it into a guessing game.