Serious Discussion - What should voting requirements be?

[12th Doctor]

It think that you should have to take a nationally standardized test that contains a few, faily easy questions, that, if a perspective voter doesn't know them, then they will when they look them up.

Questions:

1) What are the three branches of government

2) Who is your Congressman

3) Name your Senators

4) How many members are there of the U.S. House of Representative?

5) How many members are there of the U.S. Senate?

6) Who is you current governor?

7) How many Electoral Votes is the winner of a Presidential race required to have?

If they could answer basic questions like that, then they would at least know something about the government.  If not, then they arent fit to vote.

Only allowing voters who could name the incumbent would be a huge advantage for incumbents in Congress, who already get enough breaks as it is.  And math questions like #7 are questions that I'll bet less than 20% of people could answer...and I don't blame them: you can make a completely well-educated decision about who to vote for President without knowing this answer.

In fact, people can make educated decisions about candidates in individual races without knowing ANY of these answers.  Moreover, a person can usually know which party best represents them just by knowing the party's general principles, not the mechanical details of our government.  

Let me get this straight:  You think that someone can not know the three branches of government and thus, we assume, not know there function, and still make an educated decision in voting?

[12th Doctor]

The Bill of Rights was limited democracy.

Yep, and so was the first 3 Danish democratic constitutions (and those preceding wasn't even democratic). The first country to have a full democracy was New Zealand in 1901.

How would you define "full Democracy".  Since the word "Democracy" is way over used, I must ask.

[A18]

I win

yeah, by the weapon of "other guy giving up because he hasn't got a clue, what you are talking about" or the Monty Python "Tuna Slammer"

I'm now giving up because I have no clue what you're talking about

[cwelsch]

Citizenship, nothing more.

If you're a citizen and you take the time to register and show up, then you get to vote.

Felons, however, should not get to vote unless pardoned.  Especially violent felons.

This is my views, however I feel there should be a voting age and 18 is fine.

Oh sorry, I agree there should be an age of voting.  I like 18.  I just don't appreciate all these anti-voting lefties trying to regulate everything away.  I don't see any need for change in registration now that poll taxes and literacy tests are out.

[stry_cat]

There should be some minimum age, but closer to 14 or 15 instead of 18.  Anyone who gets any money from the government (either as an employee or welfair leech) or benefits from any kind of tax break should be disqualified from voting for at least 5 years.

This would eventually stop people from using the government for personal gain and eventually return us to Constutitional government

[patrick1]

An 18 year old citizen and not a violent felon or corporate criminal.  The 1/5 of an acre landholding thing is just ridiculous.  People can barely afford rents around here muchless a 1/5 acre of property.  Your average 2 bedroom shack apartment in Manhatten is over a million dollars now.  Economic disenfranchisement is not a good policy.  I also reject the civics test ideas.  The fact of the matter is that many people due to economic conditions (teen mothers i.e.) are not able to finish their schooling.  This does not mean that they should have their vote and their say in our nation's future taken away from them.  

[A18]

You could still vote for the House of Delegates (or whatever it's called in New York).

It's not fair for people in cities to control huge blocks of land in places they'll never go.

[patrick1]

You could still vote for the House of Delegates (or whatever it's called in New York).

It's not fair for people in cities to control huge blocks of land in places they'll never go.

And it is fair for some Old money, landowning wastrel to vote and not the guy who is working two jobs just to pay the rent and put his kids through school.  One citizen=One vote

[A18]

I understand what you mean, but I see it differently. He can vote, he just can't make policy for the entire land of New York.

There are plenty of middle class people who own land. This isn't really rule by an elite.

[patrick1]

I understand what you mean, but I see it differently. He can vote, he just can't make policy for the entire land of New York.

There are plenty of middle class people who own land. This isn't really rule by an elite.

There are also many middle class people who do not own land.  A saw a stat the other day that the average age of a first time homebuyer was now over 35 years old in NYC and Long Island.  An idea like this sets our democracy back 200 years.  It is not rule by an elite but it is the disenfranchisement of tremendous section of the public.  Just because you are poor or do not have the financial assets to make you a homeowner does not mean you shouldn't have a say in the fate of your nation.    

[Gabu]

Let me get this straight:  You think that someone can not know the three branches of government and thus, we assume, not know there function, and still make an educated decision in voting?

"There's too much leaking in Washington. That's just the way it is. And we've had leaks out of the administrative branch, had leaks out of the legislative branch, and out of the executive branch and the legislative branch."
- George W. Bush

Even President Bush doesn't seem to know what the three branches are.

I just don't appreciate all these anti-voting lefties trying to regulate everything away.  I don't see any need for change in registration now that poll taxes and literacy tests are out.

I'm not trying to "regulate everything away".  All I feel is that a prerequisite to voting should be actually knowing who you're voting for.

Also, after a brief scan through this topic, I so far see more people with Republican avatars proposing voting tests than people with Democratic avatars, so I'm not sure where you get the idea that it's a "lefty" thing.

[minionofmidas]

So, Lewis, you oppose absentee ballots.  Even for disabled? military? etc.?

The reasons I oppose absentee ballots are twofold.
One - I feel that voting should remain a communal act
Two - less mystical, more to the point: Absentee voting endangers the secrecy of the vote. This goes especially in the military. Voting precincts should be set up in military barracks. For expats, voting precincts should be set up in American consulates, as is indeed done by some European countries. (If they should be allowed to vote at all, that is - they are not permanent residents of the US. As long as non-citizens are not allowed to vote in the state they reside in, though, they should be allowed to vote in the state they came from as a kind of second best option.)
I'm not opposed to exceptions for the disabled or for people living in extremely out of the way locations. Also, such postal ballots must be in by the time the polls close.

[A18]

I understand what you mean, but I see it differently. He can vote, he just can't make policy for the entire land of New York.

There are plenty of middle class people who own land. This isn't really rule by an elite.

There are also many middle class people who do not own land.  A saw a stat the other day that the average age of a first time homebuyer was now over 35 years old in NYC and Long Island.  An idea like this sets our democracy back 200 years.  It is not rule by an elite but it is the disenfranchisement of tremendous section of the public.  Just because you are poor or do not have the financial assets to make you a homeowner does not mean you shouldn't have a say in the fate of your nation.    

And you do have a say, just not in one[/b] house. So dense populated areas don't make law for the whole state, and so cities don't promote unjust taxation.

[DA]

16 years of age, not a certified lunatic, permanent residence in the place you want to vote in, showing up at the polling station in person.

Not everyone can get off of work to vote, and polling stations arn't always open very late.

[minionofmidas]

16 years of age, not a certified lunatic, permanent residence in the place you want to vote in, showing up at the polling station in person.

Not everyone can get off of work to vote, and polling stations arn't always open very late.

That is why, in democracies, elections are either held on the sunday or polling day is a national holiday.

[DA]

16 years of age, not a certified lunatic, permanent residence in the place you want to vote in, showing up at the polling station in person.

Not everyone can get off of work to vote, and polling stations arn't always open very late.

That is why, in democracies, elections are either held on the sunday or polling day is a national holiday.

National holiday is a good idea, but local elections happen all the time.

[A18]

You still have to work, unless your company gives you the day off. This would just help government employees.

[12th Doctor]

"There's too much leaking in Washington. That's just the way it is. And we've had leaks out of the administrative branch, had leaks out of the legislative branch, and out of the executive branch and the legislative branch."
- George W. Bush

Even President Bush doesn't seem to know what the three branches are.

You are comparing a slip of the mind to acctually not knowing the answers.  Give Bush a written test and he would get it right, I'm confident of that, or specifically phrase the question to Bush and he would get it right, don't use these little nitpicking gaffes as ammunition to defeat my argueements.

[A18]

I bet 99% of landowners know the three branches of government.

[12th Doctor]

"There's too much leaking in Washington. That's just the way it is. And we've had leaks out of the administrative branch, had leaks out of the legislative branch, and out of the executive branch and the legislative branch."
- George W. Bush

Even President Bush doesn't seem to know what the three branches are.

You are comparing a slip of the mind to acctually not knowing the answers.  Give Bush a written test and he would get it right, I'm confident of that, or specifically phrase the question to Bush and he would get it right, don't use these little nitpicking gaffes as ammunition to defeat my argueements.

Anyway, you people are missing the point.  You are treating this like a pop quiz.  It wouldn't be.  Everyone would know the questions in advance, they would simply have to know or look up the answers.  The test would acctually increase awareness because those who don't know would have to look it up.  How is that cruel or unfair?  If anything is unfair, it is the fact that people who know nothing about anything are going into the voting boths and pulling the lever for a person when they have no idea what is going on.  That is unfair.

[A18]

I always get answers wrong in protest.

Like if they ask who the 40th president is, I'll answer George Bush because that one guy is being counted twice under the current line of thinking.

Test = Crap

[12th Doctor]

I always get answers wrong in protest.

Like if they ask who the 40th president is, I'll answer George Bush because that one guy is being counted twice under the current line of thinking.

Test = Crap

What are you protesting?  Cleveland is counted as having had two different administrations.  Makes sense, because he did.

If you answered differently, you would be in error and hence, not be able to vote.  I have no problem with that.

[A18]

But he's not a different president.

I would answer it "correctly," and then vote out anyone who supported the test.

[12th Doctor]

But he's not a different president.

I would answer it "correctly," and then vote out anyone who supported the test.

Please, explain.  Why is Cleveland not both?

P.S.  I find it rather fickle that you have choosen to take a stand on this issue, but hey, whatever.  

Also, what would this question have to do with the questions that I possed for the test?

[A18]

He's the Xth person to be president. I don't know what number he was.

Now, if you're talking about the presidency itself, sure.