American Voter Registration

[DGuller]

These new voter registration laws do smell strongly of very selective pressure to not register certain people.  Then again, my sympathy for those people's franchise is limited, since if you need an activist to register you, you're probably less than fully involved citizen anyway.  Setting up intentionally overcrowded polling places in strategic places is, IMO, a much more serious assault on democracy, as it selectively inaccurately culling the voter registration lists.

[Razgovory]

I'm pretty sure you have to prove you live in a district to vote there.  Every time I voted they had a list of registered voters in the district.  When I voted, they checked my name off the list.  They also asked for some form of ID.  I reckon if my name wasn't on the list they probably wouldn't let me vote.  There are some requirements for voting in a certain district.  You have to live there, you can't be a felon, and you must be over 18.  Registering with the state seems a logical way for the government to enforce these requirements.  What would you have us do?

I don't know enough about the Florida law to know what it actually says or does.

[Razgovory]

These new voter registration laws do smell strongly of very selective pressure to not register certain people.  Then again, my sympathy for those people's franchise is limited, since if you need an activist to register you, you're probably less than fully involved citizen anyway.  Setting up intentionally overcrowded polling places in strategic places is, IMO, a much more serious assault on democracy, as it selectively inaccurately culling the voter registration lists.

This is always problem in Missouri.  For some reason polling places change location at the last minute quite a lot in St. Louis when we have a Republican Sec of State.  It's weird.  My Polling place (which leans heavily Republican), has never changed.  Viking will love this, it's in a Catholic Cathedral.  About six blocs from my house.

[Viking]

I'm pretty sure you have to prove you live in a district to vote there.  Every time I voted they had a list of registered voters in the district.  When I voted, they checked my name off the list.  They also asked for some form of ID.  I reckon if my name wasn't on the list they probably wouldn't let me vote.  There are some requirements for voting in a certain district.  You have to live there, you can't be a felon, and you must be over 18.  Registering with the state seems a logical way for the government to enforce these requirements.  What would you have us do?

I don't know enough about the Florida law to know what it actually says or does.

What would I have you do? Well, automatically register all people eligible to vote automatically. Use IRS, Medicare, Medicaid, DMV etc. records to register. You pay taxes? Well that registers you to vote as part of the process.

Ideally, you'd set up unified database like scandinavia does. You have SSN's which presumably every citizen has. If your address is on any government database (at any level) you should be automatically registered.

[Sheilbh]

We've got voter registration too.  It's run by the local authorities and they try and update it every year by sending round forms.  They also use it to pick jurors.

There's no automatic registration here either.  Admittedly I get the impression there's no partisan aspects to it here which is a difference.  But I don't think voter registration in itself is some absurd imposition that erodes democracy.

Edit:  Just looked it up and apparently banks and credit reference agencies also often use the electoral roll to verify people's addresses which is a strong incentive to register.

[Viking]

Viking will love this, it's in a Catholic Cathedral.  About six blocs from my house.

I have no problems with using public houses of worship for voting. Churches are built where it is convenient for the parishoners to go to, so it probably makes sense to vote there. In most of Scandinavia schools and government offices are primarily used, but churches are often used where they are more suitable.

[Viking]

We've got voter registration too.  It's run by the local authorities and they try and update it every year by sending round forms.  They also use it to pick jurors.

There's no automatic registration here either.  Admittedly I get the impression there's no partisan aspects to it here which is a difference.  But I don't think voter registration in itself is some absurd imposition that erodes democracy.

The system I object to is one where the local authorities don't act to register themselves, but rather leave the system up to NGOs and private initiative. IIRC British voter registration is the local authority or voting body registering who is eligible to vote. The US system seems to be voters registering themselves.

[Tamas]

In reference to the slur against Germans I must point out that IBM's daughter company in Germany ran the GeStaPo's lists.

WHAT?!

[Razgovory]

Paying taxes or having a driver's license isn't the same as being a citizen eligible to vote so automatically being allowed to vote because you do those things doesn't make sense.  They also have to know where you are, so you don't vote in every polling place the county.  Incidentally, if you are male you have to send a selective service form to the government after your 18th birthday in the unlikely occasion they want to draft you.  You aren't automatically added to the rolls of that either.  Or at least you weren't in 1999.

[Viking]

Paying taxes or having a driver's license isn't the same as being a citizen eligible to vote so automatically being allowed to vote because you do those things doesn't make sense.  They also have to know where you are, so you don't vote in every polling place the county.  Incidentally, if you are male you have to send a selective service form to the government after your 18th birthday in the unlikely occasion they want to draft you.  You aren't automatically added to the rolls of that either.  Or at least you weren't in 1999.

Well, put a checkbox for citizenship and an address line to all government forms. You can talk about the details of how the government makes no effort to register voters. I say that the government should being making serious efforts to register all citizens that could be allowed to vote.

[Viking]

In reference to the slur against Germans I must point out that IBM's daughter company in Germany ran the GeStaPo's lists.

WHAT?!

http://www.ibmandtheholocaust.com/

[Razgovory]

Paying taxes or having a driver's license isn't the same as being a citizen eligible to vote so automatically being allowed to vote because you do those things doesn't make sense.  They also have to know where you are, so you don't vote in every polling place the county.  Incidentally, if you are male you have to send a selective service form to the government after your 18th birthday in the unlikely occasion they want to draft you.  You aren't automatically added to the rolls of that either.  Or at least you weren't in 1999.

Well, put a checkbox for citizenship and an address line to all government forms. You can talk about the details of how the government makes no effort to register voters. I say that the government should being making serious efforts to register all citizens that could be allowed to vote.

What if you move to a different place?

[Martinus]

A lot of states have 'motor voter' laws where you can register to vote when you apply for or renew your driver's license.

What about people who have no driver's license?

[Razgovory]

A lot of states have 'motor voter' laws where you can register to vote when you apply for or renew your driver's license.

What about people who have no driver's license?

The DMV isn't the only place you can register to vote.

[Viking]

What if you move to a different place?

The rather than registering to vote in the new area, they just report a change of residence.