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SoCalDem

(103,856 posts)
Fri Jul 27, 2012, 12:14 PM Jul 2012

Voter registration simplified (going forward)

Surely a computer program could be (should be?) designed that automatically registers all school children at age 18. They would be registered as independent, and their registrations would be "validated" when they vote for the first time.

Perhaps an ID (sans photo) could be included with their graduation documents.. It would remind them that before they vote, they would need to get one with a photo or be provided with a list of photo IDs that are acceptable at the polling places.

The info below is from Manatee FL. The fact that they are IN school proves that they showed a valid certified birth certificate that proves they were born here (of course students who were NOT born here would NOT be automatically registered)

Perhaps part of college entry could also be automatic voter registration as well, since a birth certificate is also part of that process too.

Child sports programs that are divided by age groups also insist on certified birth certificates, so most kids who play soccer, baseball, hockey, football, etc are used to having to have the BC readily available.

Birth certificates are also required (and have been for a long time) when you marry, or get a drivers' license.

States should be REQUIRED to "e-verify" a certificate on-file, so that people do not have to waste time & money scrounging for their records so they can vote.

Automatic registration at graduation, naturalization, perhaps even at birth (not valid until age 18) should be the NORM.

Let the party affiliation stuff start AFTER one votes in a primary for the first time.

The aged among us are eventually not going to be a factor, because by the 1950's, MOST people were born in hospitals.

People who HAVE been voting should be grandfathered-in, because to suddenly deny them the vote after having voted previously, is tantamount to accusing them of retroactive voter fraud....but going forward, voting eligibility is not hard to establish at the Department of Vital Statistics Department of ANY state. Our taxes pay to establish and support those departments, and we should not have to "pay extra" for data on us that we have already paid for...data that is routinely held in infinitely searchable databases...in seconds.


Obviously, some people will never vote, and others may "lose" their rights due to committing a crime, but once again, computers make this very easy to deal with as well.. Upon completion of parole,probation, rights should ALWAYS return (unless the crime was election fraud).

Most databases can support multiple filters such as active/inactive/deceased etc.

Vital statistics departments could easily strike a name from the list as soon as the SS# is tied to a death certificate. People with similar/same names would NEVER have the same SS#. We all have read the part of our SS number that says "Not to be used for purposes of identification", but that ship sailed long ago, since it IS a form of identification, and has routinely been required to be used as such.







Children under 18 must have a parent or guardian present at registration. Students who are 18 must have proof of their age.

A certified birth certificate.

Proof of a physical examination dated within the preceding 12 months, if entering a Florida school for the first time.
(Must have at time of registration, no waivers)

A social security number is requested (not required).

Have one of the following:
A). Current electric or water bill - section with the address and name of parent/legal guardian as receiving the service.
(No other type of bill is acceptable.)
B). Current lease agreement with parent legal guardian's name.
C). Official letter from company that is providing housing with name of parent/legal guardian.


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