Is It Time For A Federal Election System For Federal Elections?

Discussion in 'Politics & Government' started by Ken Anderson, Aug 22, 2018.

  1. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
    Staff Member Senior Staff Greeter Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2015
    Messages:
    24,327
    Likes Received:
    42,631
    This is a question, put up for discussion, and not a statement.

    Given that people from every state vote to elect our President, and that US Congressmen and Senators enact legislation and cast votes that affect all of us, do you think the rules should be the same?

    Currently, some states will register people to vote at the age of 16, some 17, while most have 18 as the age for registration. No state requires voters to be 21 but that used to be the case in some states, and I don't think there's anything that would preclude it. One state, I forget which, and the District of Columbia have suggested lowering the voting age further, to 14 I think, and I don't know of anything that would prevent them from doing so.

    Also significant is that some cities and states are registering non-citizens to vote in municipal and state elections, and it seems clear to me that many of these people will be given ballots to vote in national elections as well since lawlessness has become the norm.

    If I am a resident of Maine, and sixteen years of age, shouldn't I have the same right to participate in choosing our next president as someone my age in Hawaii or Rhode Island? Do we have equal representation under the law when 16 year-olds can vote in one state, but not in another? What if a state lowers it to 14 or 10, or raises it to 21 or a higher age?

    I have been a poll watcher so I know that when someone is given a ballot, no one other than the person working at the polls will have any way of knowing which ballots that person is given without challenging every ballot, and that would be impossible. It's easy enough for them to cheat as it is, but if non-citizens are allowed to participate at the polling place, there will be no way of knowing which ballots they have been given. Does that concern you? So long as municipal, state and federal elections are taking place at the same place, national election rules might dictate the legalities but they wouldn't prevent lawless ones from violating the laws. Requiring voters to stand in a separate line for federal elections would help.

    On the other side of the issue, elections have always been a state issue, and most conservatives are understandably supportive of state's rights. However, the federal government has stepped in to curtail the state's rights on a whole host of issues over the years. Is this one that is sufficiently important to make this a good idea?

    True, a lot of people vote early or vote absentee, and I think some states will be voting online, but I think - and this is purely an opinion, based on having helplessly watched this stuff over several years, most of the cheating takes place at the polling place, either in the ballots or in the count. I'm sure there are corrupt registrars and city clerks but, overall, I think they are less likely to carry out a concerted vote swindle.
     
    #1
    Bobby Cole likes this.
  2. Beatrice Taylor

    Beatrice Taylor Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2018
    Messages:
    879
    Likes Received:
    2,093
    I believe that we should standardize the rules on who can vote, how they register and how we keep the lists of registered voters up to date.

    I don't believe that we should change the existing Electoral College system.
     
    #2
    Ken Anderson likes this.
  3. Harry Havens

    Harry Havens Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    May 24, 2017
    Messages:
    651
    Likes Received:
    635
    Why limit the movement to just voting? Tie the draft age to it as well and/or eligibility to enlist. Be tried as an adult, and sent to "adult" prison. The list could go on.

    Do all that and I would be fine with the idea.
     
    #3
    Don Alaska likes this.
  4. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
    Staff Member Senior Staff Greeter Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2015
    Messages:
    24,327
    Likes Received:
    42,631
    If it were done at the federal level, I think it's likely that all of these things would be tied into it, perhaps even the smoking and drinking ages.
     
    #4
  5. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
    Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2018
    Messages:
    11,068
    Likes Received:
    20,467
    I believe it would (should) take a Constitutional amendment for the Feds to take over elections, but there is a currently a bill in the U.S. Senate that would set minimum standards for Federal elections, the biggest of which is to have in place a method to audit elections after the fact. Apparently there are 16 states where the elections are totally electronic, and there is no way to audit the ballots after the elections are over. I don't know all the conditions, and I just got wind of this bill this morning. Apparently there are a number of Senators who are reluctant to impose restrictions on state electoral folks. I suspect it is the ones who benefit from corruption that are holding it up. A book written a number of years ago by a supposed electoral "expert" stated in his book that all states' voting is corrupt to some extent with the possible exception of North Carolina. He said in North Carolina there is a paper record for every vote and vote records are never moved from the precinct in which they were cast. According to this guy (I can't remember his name), any time a computer is involved or votes are moved, the election is compromised or could be. That is exemplified by those places where those "lost boxes" of votes are discovered after the vote that end up determining the outcome of elections. It frequently happens in Washington State, which has now gone completely to Mail-In voting.
     
    #5
    Ken Anderson and Bobby Cole like this.
  6. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
    Staff Member Senior Staff Greeter Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2015
    Messages:
    24,327
    Likes Received:
    42,631
    To achieve the purpose, I don't know that it would be necessary for the federal to take over the elections, but I think it would be a good idea for the federal government to set the standards for federal elections.

    The count bothers me too, but that's a separate, albeit related issue. Have you noticed that everytime someone asks for a recount, they come up with a different number? If it's close, and they recount it again, they'll come up with a third number. That's scary in itself. There should only be one number. It shouldn't be different every time it's counted.
     
    #6
  7. Beatrice Taylor

    Beatrice Taylor Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2018
    Messages:
    879
    Likes Received:
    2,093
    At the risk of going off topic.

    I used to think that we should standardize the age limits for being considered an adult but as I've gotten older I think that a phased-in albeit standardized approach is probably best. Young people especially males are only about half-baked from 16-21 and I think having every aspect of life tied to one specific age could be overwhelming/disastrous.
     
    #7
    Don Alaska and Ken Anderson like this.
  8. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
    Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2015
    Messages:
    13,054
    Likes Received:
    24,628
    If I were king for a day I would.......

    Voting would be classified as a privilege for American citizens, not a right.

    Voter I.D.’s would be immediately issued to 18 year old high school graduates who have passed a semester in civics by their final year. (citizens only)
    Each I.D. has its own number and any duplication found in the system cancels out the entire transaction and will be considered a felony.
    Each voter I.D. is a federal number and is not state specified but a precursor number must be used when voting to give the orientation of the vote.

    Those who did not graduate high school but passed the civics class will have to take a transcript of their passing grade with a proof of citizenship to a standard voting registration office to get their voter I.D. and would cost a small handling fee.

    All other citizens such as the illiterate, language challenged or educationally challenged for whatever reason will be processed on a one by basis.

    Those who fall into the “other” category will have to take a standard test based on government structure in order to receive their I.D. (again, costing a small processing fee and citizens only)

    No automatic grandfathering.

    Across the board minimum voting age is the same as military induction age of 18.

    Note: The chance of ANY of my comments coming into fruition are about the same as becoming king for a day.
     
    #8
  9. Martin Alonzo

    Martin Alonzo Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2015
    Messages:
    6,504
    Likes Received:
    6,751
    Booby Cole The opportunity to make all this come true and more is never been so high as it is right now. The government could say with all the problems with The Russians and other effecting /hacking the election we need to put in place voter ID laws and to stop hacking go to paper ballots with the military watching following process.
     
    #9

Share This Page