How to run a national election

Call it on September 7, hold the vote on October 14, and dissolve the legislature in the meantime so the candidates can devote themselves exclusively to campaigning for a grand total of five weeks.

By October 15, approaching 20 million ballots (more than three times that in Florida 2000) will have been cast and counted by hand and the electioneering will be over for another three or four years.

Harper could use a few more seats.