Right to vote

[WriterofWords]

We are supposed to show our id, but we've all known each other so long if the deceased showed up we'd know it and invite them to El Bayo for coffee!

 

[boaz]

The people of NM are some of the friendliest in the world - inviting the dead for a coffee break. I am suddenly craving a sopapilla with vanilla ice cream and honey - no coffee tho.

 

[Rosalind]

Here, when you register to vote they put you on a giant list. Then when you show up, you tell them your name and address, and sign next to your name on the list, then they issue you the ballot. No voter registration cards are given out. They are pretty good about keeping the lists in order, only once did a district bugger up my registration when I moved.

In Ohio, argh. Don't talk to me about Ohio's voting inconsistencies. I think the Ohio elections board just makes it up as they go along. Never had so many problems trying to vote. But it was in such a way that it could have merely been gross incompetence.

Where I went to college in PA, all the elections were completely controlled by the local...um, dunno what to call it. It wasn't exactly organized crime, because they didn't do a whole lot of that, but a handful of large extended families control everything, including elections. Temple U's law school used to use that particular county as a textbook example of political corruption, and they've had various functions taken over by the state a couple of times for corruption and gross incompetence. I remember showing up at the polls in my neighborhood, and because I wasn't from the local Italian/Polish/Irish syndicate, I was told that I couldn't vote because I "didn't really live here, so you're not registered." I could see my name on the list from the state right on his desk, I knew I had registered when I did my driver's license, I had a voter registration card, but the guy yelled at me to get out of his voting office, I wasn't registered. People tell me that Boston is corrupt, but they got nothin' on northeast PA.

 

[Bluemoon420]

Quote:
That's when I would have called the local TV station. Planted my feet in the ground, and said...I ain't leaving buddy. It's my RIGHT to vote, and there isn't a darn thing you're going to do about it.

I had that happen to me once when I first voted in MI. Our local polling place wasn't exactly friendly, ( I would go into more detail, but you can PM me about that). They gave me a hard time, but there were lawyers planted there making sure EVERYONE was treated fairly. One of the lawyers stepped up before I could get a word in. I was able to vote shortly after that.

Bluemoon

 

[Mahonri]

I'm on the vote by mail list and can't get off.

The reason I want to get off is because I had a friend who worked for county elections and she told me the mail in's get counted last or not at all.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

They've had issues in Canada with peoples PETS having the right to vote and being sent voters information LOL.

 

[joebryant]

Only a nation of sheep would tolerate the standards for voting that are used in the United States. It's so corrupt and controlled by crooked politicians of both parties (depending on where you live) that we can seldom be sure who won, especially the Presidential elections.

 

[domino7]

The "right" to vote isn't really a right here. I can't vote due to a felony conviction. I always thought that seemed a little un-American. If something was truly a right the government wouldn't be able to take it away.


What's even worse to me is that I could actually buy my right back lol. After so many years of being "good", you can have your record expunged, for a price, of course.

 

[Rosalind]

Quote:
Don't think the local TV station would have cared--that handful of families really does run everything, including the local newspapers and such. They managed to force out a newspaper editor who ran stories about corruption in the local gov't hiring processes. I did call a friend who was a recent law school grad. She said there wasn't really anything to do other than complain to the ACLU. I wrote to them, but they said they were too busy. They were indeed too busy, there have since been a lot of local gov't officials removed from office by the feds for bribery, fraud, corruption, embezzling etc. I'm sure it was no easy task getting them brought up on charges and collecting evidence. "College student not allowed to vote by stupid jerk-face" is pretty small potatoes next to "Local councilcritter goes on racist, sexist rant at public meeting" as far as headlines go anyway.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
I truly think that that's part of the many old techniques used to keep blacks from voting. WHY would someone's having committed a felony have ANYTHING to do with their right to vote. I think the aforementioned "old technique" is still being used by the facists. Blacks should be up in arms about it.

BTW, I became convinced of this the day I sat in a court and watched a teenage black student who was truly a "good kid" of my wife's German class get railroaded for a felony he didn't commit, robbed by his lawyer, blatantly denied his basic rights during the arrest... Now he can no longer vote because "he committed a felony". Check the percentage of blacks who have been convicted of "felonies". I used to know it, but can't remember it as I type.