The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on December 19, Wednesday, at 10 a.m., on “The state of the right to vote after the 2012 election.” The hearing will be in Room 226 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Probably by now the witness list has already been arranged.
It would be outstanding if one of the witnesses would tell the Senators that in Oklahoma, voters have not been allowed to vote for anyone for president in the general election for over a decade, except for the Democratic and Republican nominees. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the news about the hearing.
Yeah!
And somene should make a push for giving corporate “persons” the franchise, too. What good is having the right to free speech without the right to vote?
Maybe pro rate the number of votes granted to total capitalization?
I second the author’s comment on Oklahoma.
I think the Senate should ask Richard to testify on ballot access, as I believe it would be very illuminating for Senators to hear how hard the process is.
#1, people under the age of 18 can’t vote, but they have some constitutonal rights. Generally, non-citizen adults can’t vote, but they have constitutional rights. Even animals in all states have legal protection against being treated with extreme cruelty.
#1, people under the age of 18 can’t vote, but they have some constitutional rights. Generally, non-citizen adults can’t vote, but they have constitutional rights. Even animals in all states have legal protection against being treated with extreme cruelty.
Suggest suspending voting rights for people on public assistance. This is already done for felons until they complete parole and probation and then request reinstatement. This is a much easier condition to define than property ownership yet follows the same principle.
4 –
Ooooh. Got me!
OK then, only corporate “persons” who incorporated more than 18 years ago should be allowed to vote. As for the other issue, I’m not aware of the existence of incorporated or unionized animals, but if they do exist I think we should consider giving them the vote, too, as long as they’ve been incorporated or in existence for 18+ years.
6 –
Excellent idea! Make sure to exclude those, too, who are on social security, medicare, VA benefits…all those scoundrel Romney victims among the 47% who are also on the government arm. Wanting to vote and getting government assistance…harrumpph! What undemocratic impudence!
The J. C. (and its members) have NO phone numbers, NO post office addresses, NO fax numbers, etc. ???
http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/
How come many clunky govt websites have OLD photos of folks ???
When did many Congress folks start wearing ties ???
http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=6abd68f7fb774eaf67bd70b1bcfb693d
SJC Chair posting.
Every state should have registration up to and including at the polls on election day, and allow all felons to vote (including while serving time in prison, as Maine and Vermont do). Allow petitioning outside as well as inside polling places. Not just good ideas – they should be the law.
@6 define government assistance.
Does this include government employment, such as police or military? Family/dependents thereof?
Employees or stock owners of companies which are government contractors or receive corporate welfare, bailouts or subsidies?
This could grow to be a very large list.
Some voter from Oklahoma should email Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, who sits on the Judiciary Committee, and indicate to him that “the state of the right to vote” in his state is problematic, that it is easier to get on the ballot in Iraq than in Oklahoma, and that for the tens of thousands of Oklahomans who desire to vote for presidential candidates other than the those offered by the two principal parties there has been no “right to vote” in Oklahoma for more than a decade. Routinely denying Oklahomans the freedom of choice afforded voters in all 49 of the other states is a clear indication that there is a problem with “the state of the right to vote” in America today. I am confident that Senator Coburn will welcome this opportunity to champion voter rights not only across this country but in Oklahoma as well.
Splendid idea. There are some other states that could use attention as well, although Oklahoma is particularly egregious.