What do you all think about same-day registration for voting? I am of the opinion that we should be able to register at the place voting, on the day of voting. I understand that seven states already have this option, and it appears to work.

For the politically minded among us it seems silly that people wouldn't vote just because they can't be bothered to register, but I think that if you look at the general populace, it becomes a reality. That means that ahead-of-time registration becomes a deterrent to voting, and therefore inherently anti-democratic.

I was arguing about this on another forum and the person with whom I was arguing kept repeating the mantra that it would be easier to commit voter fraud. I looked into it, and, from what I can see, voter fraud has not been a problem in these seven states.

Thoughts?

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"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."
Matthew 5:9

I would guess that voter fraud (ie. non-citizens voting) is just less prevalent in those states. If that is the case, then I say why not, too. Although, I do like the idea of having all my ducks in a row before going into to the poll. This way, depending on lines, I'm in and out within 15-20 minutes.

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I am an American. That's the way most of us put it, just matter of factly. They are plain words, those four: you could write them on your thumbnail, or sweep them clear across this bright autumn sky. But remember too, that they are more than just words. They are a way of life. So whenever you speak them, speak them firmly, speak them proudly, speak them gratefully. I am an American. ...a tradition

I would LOVE to see same-day registration! The key, though, would be to computerize (yeah, I know, but bear with me) the voter lists and Dpt of Motor Vehicles lists to make sure that there weren't duplicate voters, dead voters, etc. It wouldn't be that hard to create a secure system, the problem is the insistence on using these firms that we know do crappy work.

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So many cowards.

You know who you are.

We already have huge amounts of voter fraud in this country. A woman in Oregon registered her dog to vote and signed the form with the dogs paw print and mailed it in. The dog still received absentee ballots up until a few weeks ago. It is a seriously broken system. Since we cannot require a basic intelligence test , at a minimum we need "proof positive" that the person who shows up to vote is who they say they are and that they are eligible to vote. To do this I think we need to clear the voter lists of dead people, pets, convicted felons, and anyone else who not legally entitled to vote. The best way is to purge all voters nationally and require re-registration that requires verifiable proof of identity in the form of a US Passport. Nothing else will be accepted. Then every 2 years a re-registration should be required. After these reforms are implemented, if you have a passport, then you should be able to register and vote the same day.

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"My friends, we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. I hope you'll join with me as we try to
change it." -- Barack Obama

So, US passports will be provided to eligible voters for free?

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So many cowards.

You know who you are.

Sure, why not. It seems a small price to pay for fairer elections and drastically reduced voter fraud.

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"My friends, we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. I hope you'll join with me as we try to
change it." -- Barack Obama

The only people I would allow to register are people who turn 18 on election day.

I registered to vote the day I turned 18. I don't understand why everyone doesn't do that...

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Obama's New "57 State Patriotic Pin":

Then they'd better stop taking 18 fucking weeks to give people their passports.


You can totally register to vote before your eighteenth birthday. I did. I even voted (in the primary) when I was still seventeen.

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"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."
Matthew 5:9

It's an interesting thought.

I wonder what other benefits we could see from expanded passport distribution.

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So many cowards.

You know who you are.

Where I live everyone who can vote gets a card from the local authorities in the mailbox about 2 weeks before the vote (be it a european, national, regional, or city vote). You dont need to register beforehand.

I'll be heading to the polls tomorrow (wednesday) for a non-binding referendum on the next city mayor. The two candidates who got through the process are from the same party (Labor). I do have firm preference for one of them.

Same here ... plus you have to produce your ID-card or passport when voting.

How do you actually register in the US? I would think that you have to prove somehow that you are a citizen or so? How do you do that when you don't have a passport or ID-card or something like that?

Each state has its own way. I've lived in several states since I have been of voting age. In each of those states, it was through the department of motor vehicles in that state; when you get your driver's liscense or state ID.

Now, I have never proven my citizenship for a driver's liscense - no passport and the only time I needed my birth certificate was when I turned 16. And I don't think they really cared that I was born in the US at that time (it was a while ago), just that I was of age to drive.

This is the reason so many folks get really cranky about the idea of allowing illegal aliens to get state driver's liscenses or state IDs. Non-citizens should not vote nor should they influence in any way our elections.

[edit] Now that I think of it, I got the DL at 16 but still had to register to vote for my first time at 18. I just don't recall how I did it that at the time.

__________________
I am an American. That's the way most of us put it, just matter of factly. They are plain words, those four: you could write them on your thumbnail, or sweep them clear across this bright autumn sky. But remember too, that they are more than just words. They are a way of life. So whenever you speak them, speak them firmly, speak them proudly, speak them gratefully. I am an American. ...a tradition

Mine took less than two weeks (back in Novenmber). It was a renewal, but I had lost my expired passport, so that did complicate it a bit, I guess. Maybe the system was less clogged at that time.

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I am an American. That's the way most of us put it, just matter of factly. They are plain words, those four: you could write them on your thumbnail, or sweep them clear across this bright autumn sky. But remember too, that they are more than just words. They are a way of life. So whenever you speak them, speak them firmly, speak them proudly, speak them gratefully. I am an American. ...a tradition

In the absence of a voter id, I think same-day registration is a problem.

There's enough of a mess just with the voting and tallying... registration adds an addional layer of activity that adds to the chaos on election day.

The only way to make sure registration is fast and accurate is to pre-register or have some kind of Drivers License or other reliable ID.

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Screw Change!! Let's have a Seamless Transition of Power and Policy.. John McSame in 2008!

But that's incredible. So basically ... if I obtain a US driving license I could register for voting in the US ... no matter if I'm a US citizen or not, correct?