Dillards 87: Experts on Everything!

[slp]

In Arkansas, you are allowed to register as Democrat or republican or independent or no party affiliation. If you don’t choose D or R you can’t vote in the primaries. In the primaries you get either a D or R ticket, not both.  Then in general election you can vote for either party or a mixture etc. 

 

I just changed my address here in AR and there was a spot for party affiliation. You can choose not to answer but then you’re listed as no party affiliation and don’t get to vote in the primary

[Pleiades_06]

5 hours ago, indianabones said:

there would be no voter ID/signature laws, every county would have dozens of polling places and ballot boxes (unless you vote by mail), and voting would be mandatory for all adults

Many parts of Europe have voter ID laws and limited polling. And racist naturalization laws that make it hard for everyone to vote. 

12 hours ago, ophelia said:

It is really mind blowing for me, as someone from Europe, that election secrecy appears to be a foreign concept in the US. Even registering to vote is something that seems really odd to me.

Europe is a big placer-which country are you talking about?

5 hours ago, AussieKrissy said:

Australia for 99 percent of the population to have Id.

There’s no national ID law in the States-in fact it’s very controversial here, which is why people have to register to vote.

It always amazing to me how topics which are considered conservative or controversial in the States-like voter ID-are commonplace and accepted around the world.

[Marionette]

2 hours ago, slp said:

In Arkansas, you are allowed to register as Democrat or republican or independent or no party affiliation. If you don’t choose D or R you can’t vote in the primaries. In the primaries you get either a D or R ticket, not both.  Then in general election you can vote for either party or a mixture etc. 

 

I just changed my address here in AR and there was a spot for party affiliation. You can choose not to answer but then you’re listed as no party affiliation and don’t get to vote in the primary

I’m a native Arkansan, and I’ve been listed as optional since I registered to vote at 18. I’m almost 22 and have voted in the last 2 primaries (2018 and 2020). Arkansas is an open-ballot state, so you just tell them at the primaries if you want an R or D ballot. 

ETA: So yes, in Arkansas, no matter your registered party, you can pick your ballot for primaries. I remember in 2016 (riiight before I left fundamentalism), several conservatives I knew who were campaigning for Cruz were complaining about open-ballot states. They were afraid Dems would vote R in the primaries for Trump so that he would get the nomination—cause they didn’t think Trump could beat the Dem nominee. Yikes! In the same way, Reps here could potentially vote D in the primaries in attempts to get a “weaker” Dem nominee. If that makes sense... 

Edited October 31, 2020 by Marionette

[marmalade]

I just looked up Jill. She's registered as a Republican.

[LorEl]

In Germany it's pretty easy to vote, too. All German citizens over the age of 18 are allowed to vote, there are very few exceptions. 

And it's a really simple process. 

[SorenaJ]

In the UK you have to register to vote, quite straightforward, but it's a little bit of a pain, because you have to tell the voter register if you move house (happens a lot if you're a student), and if you forget, you don't get your ballot. There should be an automatic system, like a personal ID connected to your address, so everything gets updated if you change address, instead of having to update it everywhere.

[just_ordinary]

6 hours ago, monkeyrocks71 said:

In the primaries, the only people she COULD vote for would be republicans. At least in my state. For primaries you can ONLY vote for the candidates in your party. I think part of the reason is so the other party can’t “sabotage” by selecting who they think would be the “weaker” candidate. 

During the general election, you can vote for whomever you want.

 

But couldn’t you register as Republican, vote for the weaker candidate in the primary and then vote democrat in the real election?????

 

In Germany ID is mandatory anyway. When you move, you have to get your address changed (most people that don’t are student’s still registered at their parents) because the population plays into the tax scheme so it’s important for the cities. And because this decides if you allowed to vote in local elections. The second you get 18 you will get a voting notification send to the address you are registered for every election. You can vote in person or per mail. The notification tells you which is your polling station and there are several across the cities, so it isn’t too far. On Election Day you show up, show your notification and ID and they cross you off the list. They keep the notification. ID only works too though. You get a paper ballot and go to your cabin. 
 

In Germany we vote for party and for person; first and second vote. The winning party sets the Chancellor. The parties and their registered voters decide on their own who will be their candidate (which is like the primaries I guess). Difference, no one knows if you are registered with a party if you don’t tell/ they don’t catch you on tv or something similar. 
Because not everyone might like the candidate of the party in his region to represent them in parliament, you have the option to vote someone else. All our ballots work like that. There it can happen that the winning party has not the most second votes. It balances out the effect that some regions get won by one party in general. But the direct vote can make massive difference. It’s a clash between direct election and proportional representation. To balance this out, and not let those votes go to waste and put more chairs in the government filled by second vote party people. But it also can tilt power balance in parliament slightly or significantly against the first vote. We therefore had chancellors (more first vote) but they didn’t have majority. With three to five parties in parliament we are used to coalitions for building a majority government so this is not the biggest problem. While no vote goes to waste it blows up the parliament in numbers. There have been complaints and our highest court has asked the parliament to find a solution to deal with the distorting effects but no solution has been accepted yet on grounds of our election laws.

You cannot vote if you are in jail, but I am not sure if it depends on sentence for example. If you are not a German citizen you cannot vote in the big elections. But EU citizens with a permanent residence can definitely vote in local elections. No clue how it works as non-EU citizen. The biggest problem in our system is definitely if you are homeless. Many don’t have updated ID (which we have to do every 6 or ten years - depends on age as there is a photo on it. And be sure they let us pay for it even though it is mandatory) and no address to be registered at. There are charities in bigger cities that try to help with than though.  And there are discussions about mentally disabled people but I haven’t paid attention. I think they cannot but some argue they should have the right?

It‘s not perfect but it works ok. There are lots of different ways to work a democratic system and they all have their flaws.

I would prefer a rule that makes voting mandatory like in Australia. In times when people don’t seem care about their biggest right AND duty as citizens that would hopefully make some more go vote. It’s really not that much of an effort. Either go opt for mail (when you are on holiday on Election Day or just don’t want to show up in person) or go. Election Day is always a Sunday when almost everything is shut down. Most people are off work. Shops are closed, public transport had reduced action....

Edited October 31, 2020 by just_ordinary

[medimus]

Having voted in four countries means you do get a good view of the benefits and drawbacks of various systems! In Belgium you are autmatically registered to vote, you get your slip sent to you which tells you where your polling station is (and sometimes suggests a time so that you aren't queueing for hours, but you can go whenever). Polls are always on a Sunday, people are drafted in to sitting at the polling stations (like jury duty) and voting is mandatory with few exceptions (medical reasons, not being in the country on the day etc) but you can let someone vote for you if you do the paperwork and give them your ID card (one year I did the voting for both my sisters and myself, went through the booth 3 times).

In the UK you have to register which was fairly straightforward but a bit of a pain, as do you in Ireland. In the US I've only voted from abroad so has always been postal and registration has gotten more complex over time (this year there was a whole extra form).

How voting actually works is really complex and would be way too long to type out here. Suffice to say that first past the post of whatever kind is worse than any kind of proportional representation (lots of different types!)

[Melissa1977]

6 hours ago, Pleiades_06 said:

Europe is a big placer-which country are you talking about?

I think the secret of vote is the same in all European countries. 

[Womble]

8 hours ago, Pleiades_06 said:

Many parts of Europe have voter ID laws and limited polling. And racist naturalization laws that make it hard for everyone to vote. 

Europe is a big placer-which country are you talking about?

There’s no national ID law in the States-in fact it’s very controversial here, which is why people have to register to vote.

It always amazing to me how topics which are considered conservative or controversial in the States-like voter ID-are commonplace and accepted around the world.

A national ID card is a hot issue in Australia too. Most people have ID, but there is no requirement to have it, and there is resistance to bringing in a compulsory ID.

Voting is easy. Always a Saturday, all day from 8 to 6 and most local schools are polling places, as well as town halls and community centres. No ID needed, you just state your name and address and get marked off a giant list. We just vote for the representatives for our city/area, not for any other laws or judges etc. Everyone has to vote or you get a fine, unless you are in hospital or something.

[Smash!]

Switzerland is easy as well. As soon as you‘re allowed to vote you get your ballot to the adress you‘re registered at. Mail in voting starts a few weeks before voting weekend. I say voting weekend because we don’t just elect officials but also get vote on policies.

[Marly]

In the Netherlands everyone over the age of 16 is required to have an ID on them at all times, so there isn't much resistance to the "show your ID to vote" rule. There are also funds that help poor people obtain an ID, so in general, the ID isn't much of a problem.

Here you are automatically registered to vote the minute you turn 18. You get your invite to vote send to the address you're registered at. The municipalities keep track of this. On your invite the polling station closest to your address is listed, but you are allowed to vote all over the municipality you are registered in. And even small municipalities have A LOT of polling stations. Most polling station are open from 7:30 till 21:00, and they are manned by volunteers. Most bigger trainstations have polling stations as well, to make it easier for people who work to vote on their way to work. You can also register for a pass that allows you to vote in any municipality, regardless of where you're registered. But you do have to register for this. This is an easy option for people who work outside of their municipality and have a polling station close to their work address. You can also have someone else vote for you. Your voting invite comes with a letter that you can sign and give to the person you want to cast your vote for you. They have to bring that letter and your ID to the polling station and then they can vote for you.

When voting, you vote for ONE issue only. So, if it's the election for the national government, you vote for one party, and then for one person within that party. (It's the same for local government). If it's for a referendum, you only vote for the specific issue of that referendum. We never vote for multiple issues at the same time. 

Also, as far as I know, prisoners are allowed to vote. EU citizens can vote in local government elections, and refugees with temporary citizen status can also vote in local government elections. Refugees with temporary citizen status who have been living here for 5 years can vote in the national elections as well. (After 5 years their status changes from temporary to permanent, and then you can vote on the national level). Voting is not mandatory.

You never have to be affiliated with a political party to be able to vote. You never have to tell anyone which party you voted for. (Though, in my social circle it is very normal to talk about who you're going to vote for. But I would be more hesitant to share this with complete strangers.)
 

Edited October 31, 2020 by Marly
spelling

[LurkerOverThePond]

6 hours ago, LorEl said:

In Germany it's pretty easy to vote, too. All German citizens over the age of 18 are allowed to vote, there are very few exceptions. 

And it's a really simple process. 

The same goes for Finland. You can vote in advance at post offices, libraries, shopping centers etc. or you can vote on the election day (always Sunday from 8 am to 8 pm) at your nearest polling station (usually a local school). You only need to bring your ID, the station provides the paper and the pencil  Almost always I vote on the election day because I want to keep my options open to the last minute in case something important comes up or is revealed about the parties or the candidates. Voting in advance usually closes several days before the election day and a lot can happen after that!

[Jigsaw3]

6 hours ago, just_ordinary said:

But couldn’t you register as Republican, vote for the weaker candidate in the primary and then vote democrat in the real election????

Yes, and this does happen -- people register as the party they don't support to game the system. But it's not a huge issue, I don't think?

@EmainMacha I think the confusion might be due to the primaries? In the US, the primaries act as the nomination process: every voter has the opportunity to vote for their party's candidate. In a Westminster parliamentary system (like the UK, and also Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and many others), to nominate a candidate, you must officially join the political party in question, which usually requires a yearly paid membership. You then attend a nomination meeting to vote for a nominee, and the winning nominee represents that party in the general election for that district.

In the US system the president is directly elected by the population; in the Westminster system parties nominate and vote for a party leader (usually through a vote by all the registered and paid party members), and if that party wins or forms the government the party leader becomes prime minister. (But the president is head of state and the PM is not head of state, so it's not really a direct equivalency.)

I've voted in Canada (as a citizen) and in the UK (resident commonwealth citizens may vote in local elections). I've accompanied a relative to the polls in the US. In the UK and Canada I simply showed the voter registration card I received at the polls and the process took all of 5 minutes at most. In the US we waited in a long long line.

I also worked as a poll worker in Canada (well-paid for a one-day job!) and the only people who weren't allowed to vote were those at the wrong poll, and they were quickly redirected to the right one. It's a very well-oiled machine.

[nausicaa]

8 hours ago, just_ordinary said:

But couldn’t you register as Republican, vote for the weaker candidate in the primary and then vote democrat in the real election?????

Yes, and some people do this. Rush Limbaugh used to encourage his listeners to do this in Democratic primaries if there were a far left ringer in the mix. 

I live in an open primary U.S. state. And like the majority of Americans, I'm a registered independent, so I get to pick which primary to vote in. I've voted in both Democratic and Republican primaries, depending on where I think my vote is most needed. I voted for Kasich in the 2016 Republican primary, because...Trump. 

I also voted in the Republican governor primary, because both Dem candidates were reasonable, while we had a Romney Republican running against a guy who was kicked off of the Trump campaign for being too racist (yes, this is real and not a joke). 

12 hours ago, Pleiades_06 said:

It always amazing to me how topics which are considered conservative or controversial in the States-like voter ID-are commonplace and accepted around the world.

I have learned to not always make this assumption. Or assume that European laws are always more progressive than U.S ones, especially after learning most of western Europe has stricter abortion laws than the United States. 

Edited October 31, 2020 by nausicaa

[EmiSue]

9 hours ago, just_ordinary said:

But couldn’t you register as Republican, vote for the weaker candidate in the primary and then vote democrat in the real election?????

My husband and I did that in 2016, but by the time we got to our primary, all Republicans had dropped out except Trump. We still voted for Kasich in the primary but HRC in the general. This time Biden was the only Dem left on the primary by the time we got ours, so he's gotten two votes from each of us. And our little family prays at every meal that Biden wins. 

[allthegoodnamesrgone]

20 hours ago, finnlassie said:

US voting stuff always makes me have such a headache... here, you just automatically get the right to vote at 18. No need to register anywhere.

We have a group of people that don't want people to vote, especially minorities, women & liberals. 

[SorenaJ]

51 minutes ago, allthegoodnamesrgone said:

We have a group of people that don't want people to vote, especially minorities, women & liberals. 

So they have zero confidence in their own abilities to win by fair means? Super. 

[apandaaries]

4 hours ago, SorenaJ said:

So they have zero confidence in their own abilities to win by fair means? Super. 

Haven’t you seen how many public mailboxes the chump regime has been removing? They know it’s unlikely they’ll win the electoral (but not popular) vote, so they’re doing their usual: gaming the system and playing it to their advantage.

see also: turtle McConnell’s refusal to consider a Supreme Court nominee during Obama’s last year, but every single republican worked to get that evil woman instated asap, practically minutes before the election.  If they can get enough idiots to believe chump’s insane claims at the debate—that poll workers are tossing out votes, especially military ones—-or find new lawyers to spin out a problem, they’ll do so. Bush and Gore set a terrible precedent, and now that he’s packed the Court. Um, I’m very concerned. Terrified, even.
They know they’re not popular (well, maybe not chump, but he’s delusional). But power won’t usually concede itself without a serious, true challenge.

[Satan'sFortress]

The US government certainly had no problem at all funding my sons to send their selective service registration as soon as they were 18. Why can't they send automatic voter registration?

[louisa05]

8 hours ago, nausicaa said:

 

 And like the majority of Americans, I'm a registered independent, so I get to pick which primary to vote in. I've voted in both Democratic and Republican primaries, depending on where I think my vote is most needed. I voted for Kasich in the 2016 Republican primary, because...Trump. 

I also voted in the Republican governor primary, because both Dem candidates were reasonable, while we had a Romney Republican running against a guy who was kicked off of the Trump campaign for being too racist (yes, this is real and not a joke). 

I have learned to not always make this assumption. Or assume that European laws are always more progressive than U.S ones, especially after learning most of western Europe has stricter abortion laws than the United States. 

Gallup party affiliation trends since 2004: https://news.gallup.com/poll/15370/party-affiliation.aspx

You'll see that 60% are either Democratic or Republican and 38% Independent. So, no, the majority of Americans are not Independent. 

Many states do not have open primaries, so your voting pattern in primaries is not at all the norm. Only 20 states have completely open primaries.

[SassyPants]

2 hours ago, louisa05 said:

Gallup party affiliation trends since 2004: https://news.gallup.com/poll/15370/party-affiliation.aspx

You'll see that 60% are either Democratic or Republican and 38% Independent. So, no, the majority of Americans are not Independent. 

Many states do not have open primaries, so your voting pattern in primaries is not at all the norm. Only 20 states have completely open primaries.

Majority no, but a greater % than self identify as either Republican or Democrat.

[Vivi_music]

Something I don't understand, so maybe some American's will be able to explain, when you have to register, what is the process? Like do you have things to fill, administrative procedures? What does ''registering'' implies?

Because I'm in Canada, and I never had to ''register'' myself for anything. At least in my province, as soon as I was 18 and there was an election, I got my vote invite send. The adress and poll number I was assigned to was written on the invite. Just needed to get there and present an ID. That is it! When I moved, the only thing I needed to do was tell the government my new adress and that was it. Next election we had in my new district, my invite arrived in the mail. I have no idea if it is that simple in other provinces but where I'm from, it is easy peasy. I seriously had very little do to on my part. The nice Big Brother government seems to know everything about me and to be quite frank, I'm fine with it. ?

So the whole idea of registering to vote... I really don't know what it entails.

Edited November 1, 2020 by Vivi_music

[Natalie22]

11 minutes ago, Vivi_music said:

Something I don't understand, so maybe some American's will be able to explain, when you have to register, what is the process? Like do you have things to fill, administrative procedures? What does ''registering'' implies?

Because I'm in Canada, and I never had to ''register'' myself for anything. At least in my province, as soon as I was 18 and there was an election, I got my vote invite send. The adress and poll number I was assigned to was written on the invite. Just needed to get there and present an ID. That is it! When I moved, the only thing I needed to do was tell the government my new adress and that was it. Next election we had in my new district, my invite arrived in the mail. I have no idea if it is that simple in other provinces but where I'm from, it is easy peasy. I seriously had very little do to on my part. The nice Big Brother government seems to know everything about me and to be quite frank, I'm fine with it. ?

So the whole idea of registering to vote... I really don't know what it entails.

Having voted in multiple provinces, this is pretty standard.  Even if they don't realize you have moved, you just need to bring either an ID (driver's license) or bill with your address on it to prove you should vote in the riding.  Even if you don't have any of those things, you can still vote with no ID or proof of address.  So long as you have a single person in the same riding who has one of the forms of identification swear an oath you are who you say you are, you are allowed to vote.  Part of the reason we don't have the same mandatory ID laws that some European countries have is there is no mandatory ID card.  It also disenfranchises those who are more disadvantaged to begin with (Indigenous, homeless, low income, etc.). 

[subsaharanafrica]

On 10/25/2020 at 10:22 AM, Idlewild said:

 

He is now a student rep for some bar scheme - and says he has agreed to use his personal social media as part of his duties. He is clearly not averse to using his ‘fame’.  He needs sort out this whole telling the truth thing before anyone trusts him.

I’m just now getting caught up so apologies  if someone has gotten to this already, but BARBRI is the leading bar review course. They sign law students up for the course through “student reps” who in turn get to use the bar review course for free. It was $2,700 when I took it. I shudder to think what the cost is now. 
 

But in short, being a BARBRI student rep has nothing to do with “fame”. It’s just how they operate at every single law school across the country.