VOTING RIGHTS

[Duchess]

If you've paid your debt to society do you deserve to have your voting rights restored?

[HairOfTheDog]

If you've paid your debt to society do you deserve to have your voting rights restored?

I say 'yes'.

Here in California, citizens with felony records can vote if they're not incarcerated in prison and have completed any parole requirements at the time of the election.

Essentially, once they've paid their debt and had their full civil rights restored, citizens in California can vote. That's the way it should be nationally, in my opinion.

But, it's up to the individual states and some states have very old laws on the books which disenfranchise a hell of a lot of people who've paid their debts from voting; Florida (especially), Iowa, and Kentucky are the most prohibitive -- accounting for millions of lost potential votes.

Considering the U.S. has the highest incarceration rate per-capita in the world, it shouldn't have surprised me when I read that more than 6 million U.S. citizens who'd paid their debts under the criminal justice system were nonetheless prohibited from voting in 2016. But, it did surprise me. That's more citizens than the population of most of the states in our republic.

[Carsman]

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I say yes also, with the exception of "heinous" crimes committed.
No voting penalty should still apply for that type crime.

[Maggot]

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I say yes also, with the exception of "heinous" crimes committed.
No voting penalty should still apply for that type crime.

Quite a few times I see someone getting Paroled after killing someone the Afluenza kid that killed people driving drunk comes to mind. They should not be voting but how the heck do you regulate that crap?

[Duchess]

I just read that a black majority county in Georgia intends to close 7 of 9 polling locations. I view this kind of thing as voter suppression.  

[Maggot]

I just read that a black majority county in Georgia intends to close 7 of 9 polling locations. I view this kind of thing as voter suppression.  

Maybe the people of that county need to call their representative and deluge their office with phone calls and possibly block a few streets or something.

[HairOfTheDog]

I just read that a black majority county in Georgia intends to close 7 of 9 polling locations. I view this kind of thing as voter suppression.  

What bullshit.  

Hopefully it will only motivate people in that county to go to greater lengths in order to vote.  But, for those without access to their own vehicle or a driver, it may be impossible.

I was disappointed about five years ago when the Supreme Court rolled back the Voting Rights Act's mandate that jurisdictions receive permission before making changes that affected voting processes and access.  Jurisdictions used to have to provide evidence that any such changes weren't discriminatory.  Not any more.

The ACLU is probably fighting this tooth and nail, but there's likely not much they can do on a district by district basis, unfortunately.

[Duchess]

The ACLU is probably fighting this tooth and nail

They are. It was through them that I heard abut this. One thing that we can do, and that's a general we, is to help provide transportation, help people get to the polls. One thing I see over & over again is people who are jacked up to get the vote out. I'm very grateful that there are so many people willing to invest themselves in helping.

[HairOfTheDog]

The ACLU is probably fighting this tooth and nail

They are. It was through them that I heard abut this. One thing that we can do, and that's a general we, is to help provide transportation, help people get to the polls. One thing I see over & over again is people who are jacked up to get the vote out. I'm very grateful that there are so many people willing to invest themselves in helping.

Yeah, that's true -- it's great when citizens help other citizens get to the polls.  

I remember Maggot seriously claiming several times that when buses are provided to help black citizens in low-income areas get to the polls, it's REALLY a case of Dems bribing them with free lunch (no evidence of such exists, of course).

Personally, I like the idea of transportation companies or other organizations providing free or discounted service on voting days.  The more eligible voters who cast votes, the better.

[Maggot]

I will find that post because I know i didn't say blacks from poor area's. I remember it.

[HairOfTheDog]

You don't need to waste your time searching for any of the posts you made about it Mags, unless you want to do so.

I thought you included the 'low-income' specification in your claims.

But, I concede that I may have inferred it because it doesn't seem likely that you'd insist people of financial means could be bribed with a free bus ride and a free lunch.

[Carsman]

You don't need to waste your time searching for any of the posts you made about  it Mags, unless you want to do so.

I thought you included the 'low-income' specification in your claims.  

But, I concede that I may have inferred it because it doesn't seem likely that you'd insist people of financial means could be bribed with a free bus ride and a free lunch.

A free lunch, is a free lunch!

[Fry Guy]

I think someone should be able to vote only if the amount the have accepted from the government is lower than what they have received from other sources because otherwise you are going to have people voting to give them stuff for free.I do not believe that is on its face good.

I also like the idea of identification to vote

[Maggot]

You need an I.D. to vote here, I don't know how they could figure out if a person is a felon or not but if they are in jail they should not be able to vote.

[HairOfTheDog]

Another form of voter suppression underway involves preventing college students from voting in their campus districts. Some Republican lawmakers are busy trying to make it as difficult as possible.

For example, Republicans in Texas pushed through a law last year requiring voters to carry one of seven forms of photo identification, including handgun licenses but excluding student IDs.

In June, the GOP-controlled legislature in North Carolina approved early voting guidelines that have already resulted in closing of polling locations at several colleges.

And last month, New Hampshire's Republican governor signed a law that requires students who vote in the state to also register their cars and obtain driver's licenses there.

College students who live on campus should qualify as 'residents' of their colleges' states and treated without any restrictions, except those which apply to all other eligible voters, in my opinion.

Young adults should have every opportunity to participate in the election of leaders who will be representing them for years to come, and should be encouraged to participate and help chart the future direction of U.S. policies.

[HairOfTheDog]

Citizens who want to restrict other citizens from voting based on their incomes, their ages, their locales, their perceived political leanings today..............strike me as the same types of discriminatory-minded people who would have fought against voting rights for blacks and women back in the day too.

On an interesting side note, back when she was a college student, Sarah Huckabee (Sanders) worked with the ACLU to fight against being restricted from voting in her college campus district.

She attended a conservative religious college and eventually won the legal right for the student body to vote in their college district, which pushed the Republican candidate to victory. https://psmag.com/social-justice/when-sa...ing-rights

However, I doubt that she'll defend college students' rights to vote in their college districts now that it's perceived that the restrictions primarily affect left-leaning young voters.

I hope she surprises me and doesn't do a full partisan about-face on the issue. Her argument was the right one 20 years ago and it remains so, in my opinion.

[Duchess]

Republicans in positions of power who keep dicking around with voting have forced me into the position of believing they can't win without cheating.

[Fry Guy]

Citizens who want to restrict other citizens from voting based on their incomes, their ages, their locales, their perceived political leanings today..............strike me as the same types of discriminatory-minded people would have fought against voting rights for blacks and women back in the day too.

On an interesting side note, back when she was a college student, Sarah Huckabee (Sanders) worked with the ACLU to fight against being restricted from voting in her college campus district.

She attended a conservative religious college and eventually won the legal right for the student body to vote in their college district, which pushed the Republican candidate to victory. https://psmag.com/social-justice/when-sa...ing-rights

However, I doubt that she'll defend college students' rights to vote in their college districts now that it's perceived that the restrictions primarily affect left-leaning young voters.

I hope she surprises me and doesn't do a full partisan about-face on the issue. Her argument was the right one 20 years ago and it remains so, in my opinion.

Whilst I am NOT a citizen, I absolutely do not agree that people who are not in any given year earning more than the government gives them, should be able to vote. However now i want YOU to make a case why you believe I am a racist and sexist. Give it your best.

Oh, that was not what you were saying? Of course it was. You are saying that my opinion on believing that people who are receiving from the government more money than they earn outside of work are by virtue of their government receipts, more likely to vote for more benefits, means that I am more likely to discriminate against black people for some reason. YOU are calling me a racist and sexistand I would like to know your reasoning.

Whilst you are at it, could you tell me what my race is? Could you tell me what my dealings have been with people of different races? Maybe you could tell me what dealings I have had with African American people?

If you are struggling with these integral questions, there is possibly a good reason.

[HairOfTheDog]

You weren't a thought in my comment above FryGuy, though I disagree with your voter restriction proposal and find it short-sighted and non democratic. I also didn't call you any of the names you imagine and insist that I did.

And, I don't take posting assignments from you or anyone. You can keep making such foolish and condescending claims, requests, and demands. And, you can keep telling me what I think and feel, though you're obviously unqualified.

Now...........if you want to see a comment where your predictable response and line of thinking was ACTUALLY on my mind........check out the one I just posted to Duchess in the RETURN TO SENDER thread.

[SIXFOOTERsez]

As to the OP, I think it depends on the offence. Murder, rape, kidnaping, serious drug dealing, fuckem...
Some other things, felony level fraud...that kind of thing, fuckem.
Multiple felony convictions..fuckem
There may be some felony crimes that I can't put my finger on right now that I think a person might should be able to get re-instated from
Voting in this country should not be a complicated thing;
Citizen, cool
Of age, cool
Can present any form of state issued photo id, cool
Just moved to town and have some kind of evidence, cool
in short if your legal to buy alcohol or guns or to serve and no other excluding offences, cool
Illegal, no
Felon, no
16, no

May be a few other things that would bear on it, but not many