What if knowledge of Star Trek, including the original series and at least one spinoff, was a requirement for voting?

Yes, of course I’m serious. What if a deep working knowledge of Star Trek, including the original series and at least one of the spinoffs, was a requirement for voting?

This might seem like a far-fetched idea, but bear with me. Voting is a serious matter. It’s the essence of participatory democracy. We should hold the act of voting to a very high standard, and we should hold voters to that same standard. Imagine if, in order to vote in any election, you had to demonstrate a basic knowledge of Star Trek. This would include being able to answer questions about the original series, as well as at least one of the spinoffs.

Now, I know what you’re thinking — this would be unfair to those who don’t happen to be fans of Star Trek. But think about it for a moment. Would you trust someone to make decisions about your country’s future if they couldn’t even be bothered to learn about one of the most influential sci-fi franchises of all time?

There’s more to it than that, though. The original Star Trek series was groundbreaking in its portrayal of a future where humanity had overcome its differences and was working together for the common good. It showed us that anything is possible if we set our minds to it…