Why isn't every citizen automatically registered to vote in the USA?

[arcos]

First of all I'm not American, but I think I understand US politics fairly well. One thing I haven't been able to understand after several years of watching US politics is why voter registration isn't done automatically like in so many other countries.

There are so many threads and reports about the GOP tearing up registration cards, rejections because of paper weight, etc! It amazes me, and not in a positive way.

Is it because of privacy concerns of the "evil big government" having a central database? (although private companies have everyone's information :eyes: )

[napi21]

1. Because you have to prove you are a citizen and eligible to vote.

I don't know about other countries, but here there are rules that enable you to vote. Age, citizenship, non felon.

[private_ryan]

3. how about you present your driver's license

anywhere within your state, that's scanned, connected to a central database and if all is fine you vote where ever you are.

[napi21]

8. Because you have to register with a Party or Independent.

It's all about the 2 party system here. Some states, you can only vote in the primary for the party you are registered in, others you don't have to choose until primary day.

The entire systen has been set up to have only the two major parties be the winners.

I suppose it may change someday, but it sure won't be in my lifetime.

[private_ryan]

15. the computer will be able to show

what party you belong to. I mean, register once when you're 18 and saty registered for life. You can change the affiliation of course.

[Nobody]

31. Not in every state (warning, shameless plug for my state)

At least in my state, you can simply register to vote and not say which party. Independence is a major party in MN, we have four.

You do have to declare a party affiliation if you're an election judge and that's because two judges from different parties have to initial things, witness things, etc.

In MN you don't have to declare a party even for the primaries, but you can only choose one party to cast your ballot for. You don't have to say which.

We also have same day registration.

I love MN, even if our Secretary of State is trying her best to make it harder for us to vote.

We've had the highest voter turnout in the nation for most elections in my memory.

AND, we didn't give one single electoral vote for Reagan. Ever.

[wildeyed]

33. Actually, this will likely become them main focus of my activism

work after this election is over. I spent too many hours standing around in parking lots in 90 degree weather registering voters. And it is totally unnecessary work when they could just register on the day of the election. We have the technology in my state in place already. We use it for early voting. Silly not to take full advantage.

[arcos]

10. there's a national ID card in my country...

you are registered when you are born, and 18 years later, when you become a citizen, you can pick up your ID card at the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. You need your ID card to get a driver's license, to buy alcohol at the stores, to open bank accounts, etc.

And well, here felons are allowed to vote... in fact, polling places are installed in jails.

[phish420]

28. National ID card, scary in this country

Too Big Brother-ish (not that there arent plenty of Big Brothers already in place), but I think that is what drives a lot of people away from the idea...the SSN is almost the same thing, but you dont really get it until you enter the workforce usually

[leftofthedial]

2. that would be too civilized

we also don't have health care

or schooling beyond high school

or jobs

PATRIOT Act good. National ID card bad.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

9. four legs good, two legs bad...

[seabeyond]

4. in texas getting a liscence registers

i dont recall ever having to register. anyone confirm that for me in texas. they just sent me a registration card. wasnt an avid voter before the 90's. i dont think we even needed a card, just liscence

[texasmom]

18. Well, they ask you

if you want to register to vote. It's the Motor-Voter Law. They don't automatically register you, though. You have to accept.

[RafterMan]

5. Yes

It is because of evil big government central databases. Private companies have the info (maybe), but there is a limit to what they can do with it...

This year there is a rule that all polling places have to offer "provisional ballots" to be filled out in the case of a diputed registration. We'll see if that works.

[arcos]

11. not maybe... they do in fact have it...

and not only your information as a US citizen, but the information of millions of people all over the world. Let's face it, our personal information is stored in who knows how many databases of who knows how many different companies. It is spooky, but it is a fact.

[RafterMan]

12. Yes, maybe

If you live beneath the credit-card class, not much information about you reaches anyone.

[arcos]

27. well, that may be the case in the US...

but ChoicePoint bought the personal information of all Colombian and Mexican citizens, and personal information of lots of citizens in other Latin American countries...

[tjdee]

6. Republicans don't want that.

IIRC, for example, they killed the motor voter law which would automatically register licensed drivers (again, my memory's dim this evening).

When voting numbers go up, it tends to favor Democrats.
Can't have that, now, can we.

[NEDem]

7. If I remember correctly it has been proposed many times

but the GOP always gets it shot down because they know damn well the overwhelming majority of people would vote democratic if they were registered.

[incapsulated]

13. We don't even get a DAY OFF to vote!

Because we love Democracy sooo much. :eyes:

[evilqueen]

19. Right, it should be a national holiday.

And we should all push for that AFTER we get Kerry elected.

We could use that day to have Party parties, and celebrate. hehe

[arcos]

26. I knew about that, but aren't employers required to let you go vote?

[babylonsister]

14. Automatic it is not,

but I hope to heck fair might work. There are SO MANY interested folks this time around, it might just freep out the freepers!!
WE ARE ANGRY. IT IS STARTING TO SHOW! ROCK ON FOLKS!!!

[arcos]

16. kick n/t

[Swamp Rat]

17. Me estoy echando de menos CR...

¡pura vida!

[arcos]

23. ¡Pura vida rata de pantano!

:hi:

[Zynx]

20. I think we should go one step further. Everyone should HAVE to vote.

They have laws like this in other countries such as Brazil. In order to be a citizen, you should have to excersise your most important duty as a citizen.

[arcos]

24. I think that's not very democratic...

That is direspectful for people who don't believe in democracy in the first place... Democracy should be open enough to tolerate them.

[wildeyed]

34. My sister lives in Australia where they have mandatory voting.

Hefty fine if you skip. But you can go in and mark the ballot as a no vote.

[arcos]

37. It is mandatory in my country, but there's no punishment if you don't...

so it is mostly symbolic

[crispini]

21. Voter registration is done at the county level

And elections are done there too.

The thing is that your vote is a LOT more than your presidential vote... who you can vote for in a election varies according to where you live in a county. FYI, there are 3000+ counties in the USA.

And IIRC the Constitution says pretty clearly that elections are a state matter, not a federal matter. Although I'm not sure about that... somebody help me on this?

[Bridget Burke]

22. Yes, states govern their own elections....

Unless the Supreme Court steps in.

In Texas, you don't have to declare a party--but that's different elsewhere.

[arcos]

25. well, but why is there no state with automatic registering? n/t

[cynatnite]

29. In TN

When we moved here we were both automatically registered when we got our driver's licenses.

[DemocracyInaction]

30. A-Fucking-Men..........why in the hell isn't the right to vote a part

of your goddamn birth certificate??? Why are you not assigned a national voter number akin to your Social Security Number?? Why are you then not able to walk into any precinct anywhere and vote which automatically removes you from your right to vote again anywhere else in the US of A??? This is so "do-able" but the stinking shit politics of this country will never have it that way. Republicans reserve the right to disenfranchise every goddamn voter they can find so that the facists can reign forever and ever. This is stupid. This is fixable. And WE DO NOT LIVE IN A DEMOCRACY---it took me 60 years to figure out I've been had.

[dave502d]

32. The GOP knows it would hurt them,

That why they got rid of voting for one party.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

35. "Automatic registration" needs registering address every change. No No

A police state would be very happy to have everyone register one's address everytime one moved. Forget it.

[arcos]

36. well, you just have to say where you live...

they don't need to have the complete address.

Plus, most people don't know that your home address may be on Google for everyone to see. Try the following on Google:

first name last name state

One of my bosses lives in the USA and his address is listed. My aunt lives in the USA and her address is listed. My cousin lives in the USA and she is listed. Odds are, most Americans are.