In an ideal world make all us citizens take a civics test to vote.

In today's world anyone over 21, ALIVE, US CITIZEN, WITH AN ID to prove who they are.

The dead should not be allowed to vote

I am fine with any bona-fide citizen voting. Once.

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Originally posted by sig2392:
In an ideal world make all us citizens take a civics test to vote.

In today's world anyone over 21, ALIVE, US CITIZEN, WITH AN ID to prove who they are.

The dead should not be allowed to vote

Pretty close to my ideal imaginary country. Only need to take the civics test once to get a voter ID stamp on your driver's license or some other form of ID showing you've passed.

Minimum US residency requirement of X number of years so you know how this country works. This in an attempt to discourage people from Shitholistan trying to implement the same fucked up system they ran away from.

In person only. NO MAIL IN BALLOTS! Absentee ballots only for military stationed overseas or other government employees on overseas assignment.

This is one of those very complex questions that is on the edge of infringing upon rights while acknowledging that the right is not being properly utilized as intended.

Yes, there are technical requirements like proving citizenship. But there are assumptions behind voting like being able to make informed decisions (needs sufficient intelligence to understand beyond the superficial; needs to be abreast of key issues and real position / intention of candidates, etc).

Complex questions that balances a fine line. Would also like to see how we filter candidates out of the election process (ex: wtf is Mad Max doing in office?) and how we can more easily remove officials from office when they show they don't honor the constitution or the will of the people.

Taxpayers (net, no child credit BS) over 30.

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Originally posted by wingspar:
What about people who can afford to own homes in different states. Example, Main in the summer, Florida in the winter. Do they get to vote twice?

Only if you're a Democrat.

You know, all of this has been tried before and struck down. When I was born in Mississippi, all citizens had to pay a POLL TAX to vote. My dad told me that the poll tax discouraged blacks, most of whom were very poor. The poll tax was struck down also. In my opinion, all citizens should have the right to vote. There are local sheriffs, judges, school boards, etc. that we all care about.

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Originally posted by Elk Hunter:

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Originally posted by MikeinNC:
Property owners who are citizens of this country and no one else.

I agree that voting should be by citizens only. But why punish those who are not "property" owners! How many non-property simply choose not to own property, or cannot afford to buy it?

When the Founders restricted voting to property owners it was because property owners had a vested interest. Today, the equivalent would be taxpayers. The people paying the bills.
No one on welfare or other forms of government "assistance" should be voting. They just continue to vote for people who will give them more and more largess from the public treasury.

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Originally posted by Anubismp:
I think you should have to perform some form of public service. I don't just mean the military as there are plenty who don't for plenty of very legit reasons but you should have had to serve in some form before being able to vote and before being able to run for office.

Agreed. I'm a proponent of a Heinlein-esque public service requirement for enfranchisement. There would be options for a term of service in military service, public service (police/fire/medical/teaching/etc.), or alternate civil service through something like the Civilian Conservation Corps, with roles for anyone who chose to serve regardless of physical ability.

Don't want to take an active role in making your country/community better? That's fine, that's your right and your decision. But you don't get a say in how that country/community is run.


There are a number of other countries with required military service/conscription for everyone in young adulthood, but who allow alternate public service in lieu of military service for those with physical limitations or moral objections against military service. This would be similar, but not a strict requirement across the board; only if they wanted the right to vote.

How about this idea, a merit-based franchise?

A person gets a certain number of votes depending on the following formula:

US Citizen, over 21: +1 vote
Convicted of a felony or other serious crime: -1 vote
Collecting Govt. assistance: -1 vote
Military Service (or honorable discharge therefrom): +1 vote
Certain socially-beneficial occupations (LE, MD, farmers, etc.): +1 vote
Certain parasitical occupations (politicians, lawyers, media, etc.): -1 vote
Significant educational accomplishments, or demonstration of relevant knowledge: +1 vote
Significant financial accomplishments, perhaps gauged by aggregate tax payments: +1 vote
Certain specific awards/accomplishments (MoH, etc.): +1 vote

This last one could be awarded multiple times, the others no more than once.

Obviously, there would be a lot of fine-tuning to be done, and things would change over time, but this would give solid upstanding citizens more voice in who gets elected, who these elected officials cater to, and to encourage desirable behaviors among the populace.

Just an idea, curious about what people think of it.

For those advocating that you have to be a taxpayer how does that work? If I’m retired, living in my apartment, and my income is from an IRA, does that mean I can’t vote? How much do I have to pay in taxes? If my accountant gets me down to $1.00 does that work? Can I vote and then file an amended tax return the following year so that I have no tax burden after all.

The taxpayer thing is nice in concept but how is it even remotely feasible when one starts executing the details of it?

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The taxpayer thing is nice in concept but how is it even remotely feasible when one starts executing the details of it?

I'm not sure it would be that difficult. Some combination of total aggregate taxes paid over one's life, and number of years in which a contribution was made, perhaps adjusted by consecutive years of payment. One could voluntarily make up the difference if you were falling short.

Now this is tough on the dude who has to go on disability at the age of 22 due to an on-the-job injury, but I think you could argue that this person's interests may not be closely aligned with what is best for the country and its populace.

Citizens only. Anyone can buy property.

One citizen. One vote.

Provided voter fraud and/or glitches in the system are not issues:

Citizens over the age of 25 that are either agnostic or atheist. Their brains would be fully developed and separation of church and state would be better factored into the process. Just seems like a couple angles that never get considered in these threads.

Honorable military service +1 vote.

Taxpayer/property owner +1 vote.

Then let the electoral college do its thing as an extra layer of checks and balances.

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Originally posted by comet24:
United States citizens 18 and older.

There will always be stupid. Just make elections are without fraud.

No problem requiring ID to vote.

And this has the benefit of being consistent with the Constitution, a document generally held in high regard around here.

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Citizens over the age of 25 that are either agnostic or atheist. Their brains would be fully developed and separation of church and state would be better factored into the process.

Wrong on a number of levels...

That would surely eliminate one of the largest conservative voting blocks in the country. Christians & Jews, on who's principals our founding father's built the constitution in the first place. Constitutional rights are granted by God not by man or government.

Secondly, Biblical principles (God) is an absolute standard. Man's laws are ever changing. Take away God's truth, and "The Truth" can be anything some corrupt man or government wants it to be. Most of the issues we face today are a direct result of God being systematically removed from our society. EVERY problem we see today has been addressed in the Bible. It's literally the How-To guide of civilization and that's why our founding fathers based our Bill of Rights and Constitution on Biblical principles.

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Originally posted by jhe888:

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Originally posted by comet24:
United States citizens 18 and older.

There will always be stupid. Just make elections are without fraud.

No problem requiring ID to vote.

And this has the benefit of being consistent with the Constitution, a document generally held in high regard around here.

Agreed, with the exception of local issues. Mill levies for example. Want to build a $2M skate park or a $25M high school? Only those property owners who are going to pay for it should have a say.

Representative elections (state representatives and senators, federal representatives and senators, governors, and president) should be as above.

However, it should be in person voting with a valid ID on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Period. Few exceptions can be made for absentees. Very few. You have (at a minimum) a year to plan for that day off so that you can vote. If you can't make it? Too bad.

I'm just curious if anyone has named a group that they would not belong to.

CITIZENS NOT ON WELFARE.

quote:

Originally posted by sig2392:
In an ideal world make all us citizens take a civics test to vote.

In today's world anyone over 21, ALIVE, US CITIZEN, WITH AN ID to prove who they are.

The dead should not be allowed to vote

I seem to remember taking civics in the sixth grade and I had to pass it in order to go on to the next level. Also, didn't we take history in high school?