Explain Like I'm 5 (ELI5) @lemmy.world verstra @programming.dev 2mo ago

ELI5 why do people in USA need to register to vote?

I'd expect the state to have a list of all its citizens and their basic personal info (age) which could be used to determine their eligibility for voting. In my country, we get a "invitation" to the vote, with your voter station and info on how to change it.

Instead, I'm seeing posts about USA's "voter rolls", which are sometimes purged, which prevents people from voting. Isn't this an attack on the voting system and democracy itself?

So why doesn't USA have a list of voters? Are they stupid?

You're viewing a single thread.

39 comments

Because voting regulations are left to the State governments, and each state government does it slightly differently, often with designs that are specifically intended to disenfranchise specific voters.

Further, because of the Electoral College, it is very important WHERE you vote. If I live in New York, I can't vote in Pennsylvania. I get lumped together with everyone in New York.

So my registration ties me to a "permanent address" that aligns with a state, their electoral college contribution, and the rules they've put in place to gather, validate, and verify the vote, all mixed with manipulation over the years to swing the vote wherever possible (see: gerrymandering)
- And of course because it's done this way, it's easier for State governments to disenfranchise people that they don't want voting. Why yes it is a corrupt and broken system. Thank you for asking.
- We do have "permanent address" here too and it is used to determine the voter station and district and thus the representative candidates you can vote.
  
  Is the "permanent address" a thing just for the voting system, or is it used for other bureaucracy as well?
  
  Governmental agencies typically dont share data like that so you would have to give them your address separately. Imo its partially a republican "hurr no big govt" and jim crow type deal where republicans want to keep poor people and colored people from voting (less likely to have the time to register or have a fixed address).
  
  Republican?
  
  Funny, I remember Democrats 50 years ago being anti-establishment.
  
  Make up your mind.
  
  Can't have a permanent address if a hurricane blows your wee Lego house away taps forehead
  
  Sorry, Florida doesn't have Lego houses. Their building codes require reinforced concrete ground floors (ground floor is block, with cement and rebar inside), and hurricane strapping for roofs.
  
  We have extra tough building codes. Hell, I have a Habitat for Humanity home, 30-miles inland, and it has the roof strapped to the foundation and 140mph rated windows.
  
  But concrete ground floors aren't required, at least not off the beach. Even the newer beach homes are sticks and stucco. Maybe being on stilts negates any ground floor rule?
  
  Funny you mention block though. The 50s beach houses are all 1-story cinder block, and unlike the new construction, they still exist.
  
  That only works after all the older buildings have been washed away
  
  Independently. I don’t there is any connection, but yes I have a residence for determining where I vote and who for, my city lists my primary residence for property tax purposes (investment/rental property is taxed more) and excise tax, my state department of revenue lists my residence for income tax but they may coordinate with IRS which does the same. My drivers license has my residence address but I don’t know if they need to be the same nor does it need to be the same as my car’s location, etc
- So if you’re on holiday in another state, let’s say… you can’t walk out of your hotel and vote? You have to be physically in your home state during election time to mark a ballot.
  
  Wild.
  
  There are mail in ballots, but thats why republicans hate them so much. It means our votes get counted
  
  In particular there’s always been a way for the military to vote
  
  Sort of, it's common for some military ballots to arrive too late and not be counted.
  
  That’s where things get crazy since the local implementation is local.
  
  My state makes it easy to register to vote: automatic when getting or renewing a drivers license or id. We have a reliable system, and many polling stations, and everyone gets a mailer for early/mail-in voting. For me voting has always been walk a couple blocks to my neighborhood elementary school and walk back, either before or after work. There’s never much of a line so it takes a couple minutes, and polls are open the maximum time so you can vote despite work.
  
  Some of the stories coming from other states are as alien to me as they probably are to you. How could there be one drop off location for early votes for the entire city of Houston? How can some localities get away with so few machines and so few locations that there are lines? How can someone stay out of jail if they’re purging voter rolls just before an election or without due diligence? How is there even a big line in the hot sun such that someone can make a big deal of providing water to people trying to vote?

39 comments