- 7 Jun 2008
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I'm particularly interested in hearing about requirements for voting in nations other than the US.
In the US, voting eligibility requirements are established mainly by the fifty states, and laws vary from state to state. There are certain federal laws, like the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in voting, that apply to all fifty states and US territories, but most requirements are set by the states.
I've often thought we should have national standards for all voting requirements and processes. So long as we don't, there's no assurance that a vote from one state is worth the same as a vote from another. A state with more lenient requirements finds itself over-represented in national elections versus a state with more stringent requirements.
An issue that comes up here periodically is whether prisoners should be allowed to vote. Prisoners forfeit some of their civil rights because of their conviction for a crime, and in my state one of the rights forfeited is the right to vote. Some states allow prisoners to vote.
Another issue is whether permanent residents who are non-citizens ("green card" holders) should be allowed to vote. In the US, they may not. I guess the argument for it is that the residents contribute taxes and work to the society, and have an interest in the politics of their place of residence. I oppose the idea myself. Non-citizens lack the natural loyalty of the native-born to their country of birth, and haven't taken the oath of loyalty to the USA required from all naturalized citizens.
Besides, adding a new class of voters would dilute the influence of my own vote.
In the US, voting eligibility requirements are established mainly by the fifty states, and laws vary from state to state. There are certain federal laws, like the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in voting, that apply to all fifty states and US territories, but most requirements are set by the states.
I've often thought we should have national standards for all voting requirements and processes. So long as we don't, there's no assurance that a vote from one state is worth the same as a vote from another. A state with more lenient requirements finds itself over-represented in national elections versus a state with more stringent requirements.
An issue that comes up here periodically is whether prisoners should be allowed to vote. Prisoners forfeit some of their civil rights because of their conviction for a crime, and in my state one of the rights forfeited is the right to vote. Some states allow prisoners to vote.
Another issue is whether permanent residents who are non-citizens ("green card" holders) should be allowed to vote. In the US, they may not. I guess the argument for it is that the residents contribute taxes and work to the society, and have an interest in the politics of their place of residence. I oppose the idea myself. Non-citizens lack the natural loyalty of the native-born to their country of birth, and haven't taken the oath of loyalty to the USA required from all naturalized citizens.
Besides, adding a new class of voters would dilute the influence of my own vote.