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View Poll Results: What should be the voting restrictions/requirements?
Photo ID Required 32 59.26%
Property ownership required to vote in that state 7 12.96%
You must have paid income taxes in the previous year 11 20.37%
You must score higher than an 85 on an IQ test 11 20.37%
The voting age should be raised to 21 11 20.37%
You must be fluent in English 20 37.04%
None - the requirements are fine as they are 21 38.89%
There should be fewer requirements 2 3.70%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 54. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 06-10-2014, 08:40 PM
 
Location: New Jersey
16,911 posts, read 10,589,904 times
Reputation: 16439

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All rights seem to have their requirements and restrictions these days. Is the right to vote different? after all - it is not even in the Bill of Rights. Unlike other rights that non-citizens enjoy, only citizens are able to vote. So should we put more rules in place to improve the election process? What would you impose? You can vote for more than one in the poll.
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Old 06-10-2014, 08:56 PM
 
Location: USA
7,474 posts, read 7,033,677 times
Reputation: 12513
I vote for photo ID - so you are who you claim to be - and the ability to speak English. Otherwise, you don't really understand the questions, the debates, or the issues.

Property ownership is grossly unfair, disenfranchises many people - and not just poor people in high cost of living areas, and would badly skew the results towards older, wealthier people who can afford homes and/or who bought them before prices ended up so badly out of whack.

The income tax requirement would rule out college students and, oddly, certain older retired people and stay-at-home parents, so that seems off.

I'm not sure if raising the voting age would accomplish anything, though some people who can't stand "kids these days" might like it or make a fuss about "young people not knowing enough to vote right!" - though if we're going to play that game, one may as well put on a maximum voting age to rule out senility... not saying that's a good idea, but it's the same logic.

The IQ test is interesting, but too limiting. You could, say... only allow people who have graduated high school or earned a GED to vote. I'd be fine with that since it would show how the person performs over time vs. how they perform taking one test.
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Old 06-10-2014, 09:20 PM
 
Location: Midwest City, Oklahoma
14,848 posts, read 8,207,531 times
Reputation: 4590
Democracies all work the same way, it is people voting for government to do what is in their interests. The argument for restrictions to voting rights, is basically an argument that the interests of some people are "more important" than the interests of others.

Almost no one votes for "what is right", everyone votes "with their wallet". It is something which has been proven over and over and over again in every election, ever. If you restrict the vote in any way, what are you going to accomplish? Giving businesses more power than they already have?


The root of the complaints about voting rights. Is a recognition that some people are morons, or who are selfish. And that, their vote effectively cancels out your vote. You try to devise a system to kick the morons out of the voting pool, without really trying to understand why it is neither possible, nor is it desirable.

We rant about how much we hate that "money" influences elections. You'll hear the media decry the influence of money every day of the week. Of course, they seem to ignore the fact that the media influences elections even more than money. I would actually put the top three influences in elections as, "the media", government indoctrination facilities(public schools), and then money at number three.


I gave up on democracy a long time ago. I don't see the point in defending it. It was never that great to begin with. What really made America great wasn't that we were a Democracy. It was that we started out an incredibly limited Republic, largely neutral in world affairs, with tons of land, and an extremely open immigration policy.

DEMOCRACY | The Economist

Rousseau's Theory of the State


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvaZwPPd7m0
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Old 06-10-2014, 09:21 PM
 
Location: New Jersey
16,911 posts, read 10,589,904 times
Reputation: 16439
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rambler123 View Post
I vote for photo ID - so you are who you claim to be - and the ability to speak English. Otherwise, you don't really understand the questions, the debates, or the issues.

Property ownership is grossly unfair, disenfranchises many people - and not just poor people in high cost of living areas, and would badly skew the results towards older, wealthier people who can afford homes and/or who bought them before prices ended up so badly out of whack.

The income tax requirement would rule out college students and, oddly, certain older retired people and stay-at-home parents, so that seems off.

I'm not sure if raising the voting age would accomplish anything, though some people who can't stand "kids these days" might like it or make a fuss about "young people not knowing enough to vote right!" - though if we're going to play that game, one may as well put on a maximum voting age to rule out senility... not saying that's a good idea, but it's the same logic.

The IQ test is interesting, but too limiting. You could, say... only allow people who have graduated high school or earned a GED to vote. I'd be fine with that since it would show how the person performs over time vs. how they perform taking one test.
Owning property might make sense in a state like mine where property taxes are out of control. As for the income requirement, I hand a job and paid taxes as a college student. Retired people pay taxes on certain income as well.
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Old 06-10-2014, 09:23 PM
 
33,387 posts, read 34,837,332 times
Reputation: 20030
a US citizen, age 18 or older, with proper photo ID, and is registered to vote, should be able to vote. those are the only restrictions needed, unless you are a convicted felon and your rights have been suspended.
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Old 06-10-2014, 09:29 PM
 
Location: Florida
76,971 posts, read 47,621,806 times
Reputation: 14806
I'm ok with the Constitutional requirements.
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Old 06-10-2014, 09:32 PM
 
12,436 posts, read 11,947,486 times
Reputation: 3159
There should be an intelligence test. It could be very simple. If you believe Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh are reporting the news and are factually accurate, you are probably too stupid to vote.
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Old 06-10-2014, 09:37 PM
 
41,813 posts, read 51,045,587 times
Reputation: 17864
Quote:
Photo ID Required
I think this is no brainer and once we have established this for in person voting move onto implementing for other issues like absentee ballots.
Quote:
Property ownership required to vote in that state
No, property owner or not you are paying property taxes. If you're renting part of that rent goes to property taxes.

Quote:
You must have paid income taxes in the previous year
No, if you lose your job that is no reason to lose the right to vote.
Quote:
 You must score higher than an 85 on an IQ test
That's tough one isn't it? Clearly if you are dumb as a rock you should not be voting but that's a slippery slope. Why stop at 85, lets' make it 100... I don't see it is practical and ultimately a very dangerous idea.
Quote:
The voting age should be raised to 21
If you are old enough to be drafted or enlist in the army you are old enough to vote. I'll also add you're old enough to drink beer too.
Quote:
 You must be fluent in English
I wouldn't require fluency but I'd solve this by require a basic understanding of English for all immigrants. It becomes a non issue.
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Old 06-10-2014, 09:39 PM
 
1,250 posts, read 1,488,691 times
Reputation: 1057
Is there proof that higher IQ people are more likely to make better political choices (vote your way)?
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Old 06-10-2014, 09:39 PM
 
41,813 posts, read 51,045,587 times
Reputation: 17864
Quote:
Originally Posted by hotair2 View Post
There should be an intelligence test. It could be very simple. If you believe Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh are reporting the news and are factually accurate, you are probably too stupid to vote.
I hope you are being sarcastic.
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