Time to upgrade our voting system?
Plus: cake for everyone!
If you’re new here, hello and welcome! I’m Mark - and I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing in the kitchen. I’m documenting my journey to become a better cook and food photographer. To learn a little bit more about me (and my dog Hiro, who’ll you see a lot of!), the below post is the best place to start:
Hello, friends - and welcome back!
In case you missed the news, we’ve just had a general election here in the UK - with our government changing hands to the Labour Party. Here’s hoping that the next few years are a little less chaotic…
Personally, I think the whole dated system needs burning to the ground and starting again (too harsh?). Times change, societies evolve and we grow as humans - and so too should the way we govern and run the country.
With a view to how things could be better, I’m much less interested in who is running the country at the moment and more interested in how we can improve the voting system. I posted an idea on Notes that I’ve had bubbling away for a while and wanted to share it here, too. The power of putting ideas out into the universe, and all that!
Digital Voting
So, stick with me here as I know that this could potentially touch a nerve for a lot of people. However, my view is that we need to introduce digital voting into the mix for all types of elections. This would be an option alongside postal and in person votes. An app that transforms the entire voting process into a secure, transparent, and engaging experience for everyone. Here's my idea…
⭐️ Secure Voting System:
It goes without saying that the number 1 concern (closely followed by accessibility) is to ensure that the system/app is completely secure. People need to have trust that votes couldn’t be hacked or altered in any way.
Digital ID Verification: Utilises biometric data (facial recognition, fingerprint scanning) linked to government-issued IDs to ensure voter authenticity.
Encrypted Voting: Implements end-to-end encryption to secure all votes, ensuring privacy and preventing tampering.
Audit Trails: Offers a transparent method for voters to verify their votes have been counted without compromising anonymity.
⭐️ Pre-Setting Votes:
I’m not sure a ‘one and done’ system works anymore. Being able to cast your vote for the whole period of an election month would allow people to change their mind (as humans, we do that some times!) based on factual information they receive.
Early Vote Setting: Allows users to set their vote up to a month before election day and make changes as many times as needed until the final submission deadline.
Reminders and Alerts: Sends notifications to review and finalise your preliminary vote before election day.
⭐️ Real-Time Information:
If all ‘official’ information was provided in the app, we could ensure it was fact checked - making lies and fake news less commonplace.
Candidate Profiles: Provides detailed profiles of all candidates, including their policies, past performance, and public statements. Ensuring all information is fact checked.
Issue Tracker: Tracks key issues and how each candidate plans to address them.
Live Updates: Delivers real-time news updates and official statements related to the election.
⭐️ Community Engagement:
It’s hard to deny that elections do get people talking. And as heated polarising as conversations can get sometimes - encouraging positive discussions will foster better relationships within our communities. The best way for people to live alongside each other is by understanding one another.
Discussion Forums: Enables voters to discuss policies, candidates, and election-related topics in moderated forums.
Polls and Surveys: Allows users to participate in opinion polls and surveys to gauge public sentiment on various issues.
Event Notifications: Alerts users to local election-related events, such as debates, town halls, and meet-and-greets with candidates.
⭐️ Educational Resources:
Voting Guide: Provides a step-by-step guide on how to vote, including deadlines and requirements.
Policy Explainers: Offers detailed explanations of major policy issues and their potential impacts.
Historical Data: Gives access to historical election data and trends.
⭐️ Accessibility:
Below explains the accessibility features of the app, however it would be remiss not to touch on how being able to vote from the safety of your own home. For some, leaving the house is simply not an option - so this would help them have their voices heard too.
Multi-Language Support: Offers content in multiple languages to cater to the diverse UK population.
Accessibility Features: Includes text-to-speech, high contrast mode, and adjustable text sizes for users with disabilities.
⭐️ Transparency and Accountability:
Open Source: The app’s code is open source, allowing experts to verify its security and integrity.
Independent Oversight: An independent body oversees the app's operation to ensure fairness and transparency.
A voting app would aim to modernise the voting process by making it more accessible, secure, and engaging for everyone. By leveraging technology, you could encourage greater participation, less ‘fake-news’ and ensure that every voter has the information they need to make informed choices.
What do you think? Do we need to update our voting system? Is there space for an app? Should we leave well alone and carry on as we always have? Let me know in the comments!
Thank you for letting me show my geeky side for a moment. And now, I think it’s time for some cake!
So as I’m still fairly new to Substack, I’m hoping that some of my fellow writers can help me with the etiquette of sharing recipes on a blog/newsletter like this. As quite a few of the recipes I’ll be attempting are from cook books - do you share the recipe and credit the book/creator, do you ask for permission to share the recipe - or do you not share the recipe at all and just share where to find it?
My immediate thought is the latter, but please do let me know if you think otherwise.
So with that said, here are the bakes I’ve made this week - along with where to find the recipes!
Bake #1: Yogurt Cake - from Larousse Patisserie and Baking p16
Notes: I’m still in my cake era - and I’m not even sorry about it! I’m making my way through the Larousse Patisserie and Baking book from start to finish and this delightful little cake was first on the list.
With yogurt as one of the main ingredients, this was somehow so moist yet still so fluffy too. The recipe calls for the zest and juice of one full lemon, which gives it a great citrus flavour; however, if you do attempt it, I think you only really need half of the zest.
The Shot: Ben bought these new side plates, which I thought complimented the rich colour of the cake so well. That was my main focus - then I included the lemons to make the background a bit more interesting. Being quite pale in comparison to the plate and cake, I think they’re a nice addition without taking away from the subject.
I love how summery the vibe is - you would never have thought it was raining buckets outside when I took this photo!
Bake #2: Pistachio and Vanilla Loaf Cake
Notes: I can’t actually remember where I took a photo of the original recipe from - but it was one that you can adapt to include any ground/chopped nuts that you fancied. I opted for the GOAT of nuts… pistachios. And a splash of vanilla. And topped with more chopped pistachios. I’m super chuffed with this one as, although the outside was ever so slightly overdone, the inside was probably the best bake I’ve done so far.
The perfect sort of cake to have with a brew, smeared with a big dollop of pistachio paste. Did I say I like pistachios?
The Shot: I really love this shot! It has to be up there with the scones that I made a couple of months ago. This crate has been a staple in my backgrounds ever since I started Taisty Bytes and I’ve always wanted to try a shot like this with it. I’m all for the ‘rustic breads in crates - hessian - coarse fabrics’ sort of aesthetic. You know the one - very farmhouse bakery style.
I think it turned out well!
Bake #3: Flourless Orange Cake - from Larousse Patisserie and Baking p38
Notes: We’re diving back in to the Larousse Patisserie and Baking cook book for the final bake of the week and this simple, yet delicious cake that’s made with ground almonds rather than flour.
Although it’s a somewhat dense cake, it still feels like it has a delicate crumb. The almond together with the orange works really well - and chopped almonds to top give it that nice crunch. Will definitely be making again!
The Shot: One of my biggest challenges with where I shoot in my home is that on sunny days, it’s really sunny. So trying to find ways to work with the overexposure can be tricky. That said, sometimes the stars align and I can capture something like this that probably most definitely over exposed - still gives off a warm, homely feel.
I opted for a closer crop this time as I think it gives it a more intimate feel.
Next week we are diving in to Vegetables, the exciting new cook book by
!Until then, friends - thank you for reading. As always, it’s very much appreciated.
-Mark
Currently catching up on my reading, lovely to read your latest work Mark. I cannot wait to see how you get on with Mark D's recipes, I have the book myself and very much looking forward to cracking it open, although suspect my cooking will be nowhere as good as yours!x
It's good that you are asking this question.
There are copyright issues when you share by copying the text of recipes from cookbooks, even as an image, without the author's or publisher's permission, including sharing by copying the text from food blogger's websites. Even if you give them credit, there are still issues. It's just not the done thing.
If you were inspired by a recipe or changed it significantly, it's polite to give credit to the original recipe and author.
It will be interesting to see what others think.