Steve Grossman in The Boston Globe

On Government Reform: Low voter participation is a “national disgrace”

As a small-businessman, I focus every day on developing products and services that are tailored to customer needs. When I have looked at potential voters as “consumers” and the voting process as “product,” it has been clear to me that as political leaders we have not responded meaningfully to the changing behavior of our electoral consumers. Our product-our voting process-is stagnant, and its delivery is irrelevant to tens of millions of our fellow citizens.

Today, people work longer hours and frequently at more than one job. At home, they care for aging parents and young children. Some consider it a simple task to register to vote and show up on election day. For too many, however, it is an added burden that cannot be realistically accommodated.

On Government Reform: Use mail-in voting, and vote over several days

Knowing that the pool of people able to leave work or a child in their care between 9 AM and 3 PM on a weekday was decreasing, banks created the ATM, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. US elections could experience increased participation by permitting voting over several days or weekend voting. France, Argentina, Ecuador, and Australia are among the nations with a 65 percent or higher voter turnout and have Saturday and Sunday voting.

The mail-order business has seen unprecedented growth in the last decade. Perhaps the millions who shop by mail might vote by mail. Voters in Oregon achieved success in a historic 1996 US Senate all-mail ballot election.

On Technology: Supports Internet voting, to encourage youth participation

Effective solutions must be consumer-based and designed with the same innovative zeal displayed by the creators of such relatively mundane conveniences as the frozen dinner, on-line banking, and voice-mail products with hundreds of millions of satisfied customers.