Just for some perspective...
Nov. 4th, 2009 12:47 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
turil.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
davis_squareJoe Curtatone, while winning the election for mayor, was voted in by less than 8% of Somerville's human population.
turil.livejournal.com posting in davis_square![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-11-04 06:36 pm (UTC)But the question was about "registered" voters, not "eligible" voters. I agree that knowing the percentage of eligible voters who voted for him would be at least somewhat interesting. But I seriously doubt anyone keeps track of that figure with any accuracy.
(For the record, I'm not sure if I counted as a registered voter, but I did vote. I was on the green pages, because I didn't fill out the census thing, and was removed from the rolls.)
Exactly who is being excluded here?
Date: 2009-11-04 06:52 pm (UTC)Any man or woman 18 years of age or older, who is a legal resident not presently incarcerated for a felony, can vote in Massachusetts.
So who is being excluded here?
Felons in prison?
People who don't actually live here?
Re: Exactly who is being excluded here?
Date: 2009-11-04 06:59 pm (UTC)Re: Exactly who is being excluded here?
Date: 2009-11-04 07:02 pm (UTC)Re: Exactly who is being excluded here?
Date: 2009-11-04 07:07 pm (UTC)No they want fresh meat!
Date: 2009-11-04 07:09 pm (UTC)Dumber mice!
From:Re: Dumber mice!
From:You're forgetting a major part of the population
From:Re: You're forgetting a major part of the population
From:???
From:The bacterial block vote
From:Thanks for that even more intersting perspective!
From:Re: Exactly who is being excluded here?
Date: 2009-11-04 07:20 pm (UTC)So whomever completely destroys all public social activities will get big points with the polling district of Thespian's cat.
But dones't you cat get to play when you are away?
Date: 2009-11-04 07:23 pm (UTC)Re: But dones't you cat get to play when you are away?
From:Re: Exactly who is being excluded here?
Date: 2009-11-05 01:33 am (UTC)Re: Exactly who is being excluded here?
Date: 2009-11-04 07:07 pm (UTC)Plus... everyone else who either lives here and isn't a human, or "lives" here but isn't a "resident" are being excluded, too. People who work here, but don't live here can't vote here even though they might spend much of their lives here, people who are birds can't vote here, people who live in more than one place but are only allowed to register to vote in one of those places might not be allowed to vote here, and people who are illegal aliens aren't allowed to vote here, and even some people who just didn't have the resources to register weeks ahead of the election can't vote in that election, even if they wanted to.
Re: Exactly who is being excluded here?
Date: 2009-11-04 07:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-04 09:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-11-05 03:48 am (UTC)Re: Exactly who is being excluded here?
Date: 2009-11-04 07:31 pm (UTC)I don't even know what to say about this.
Look, the birds don't let us vote in their elections, and we don't let them vote in the human elections. I think it's fair.
Best Comment. Evar.
Date: 2009-11-04 07:41 pm (UTC)Re: Best Comment. Evar.
Date: 2009-11-04 07:59 pm (UTC)Re: Best Comment. Evar.
From:Sure you can!
From:Re: Sure you can!
From:Re: Sure you can!
From:Re: Sure you can!
From:Re: Exactly who is being excluded here?
Date: 2009-11-04 08:38 pm (UTC)Re: Exactly who is being excluded here?
Date: 2009-11-04 09:37 pm (UTC)Re: Exactly who is being excluded here?
From:Re: Exactly who is being excluded here?
Date: 2009-11-04 07:37 pm (UTC)I think that's perfectly reasonable.
Additionally, we do not allow people who have shown that they have a low regard for the law participate in electing those who write and enforce the law - that would be like having the foxes guarding the henhouse.
Re: Exactly who is being excluded here?
Date: 2009-11-04 08:16 pm (UTC)http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1553510,00.html
Re: Exactly who is being excluded here?
Date: 2009-11-04 08:26 pm (UTC)Felons can vote in Massachusetts
Date: 2009-11-04 08:12 pm (UTC)As for people under 18, the belief is that they lack the knowledge to enter into a binding contract, and likewise, lack the knowledge to make an informed decision about voting.
Aside from the non human voting, I still fail to see who is excluded. You can't have non-residents voting in elections.
Re: Felons can vote in Massachusetts
Date: 2009-11-04 08:34 pm (UTC)One person one vote
Date: 2009-11-04 08:48 pm (UTC)The argument against letting non local residents vote is to prevent outside forces from interfering with local elections. Moreover, any person of legal voting age is or readily can be a resident somewhere. Either become a resident of Somerville (easy) or vote in your original location (equally easy).
Let's assume the following hypothetical: Let's say Massachusetts never legalized equal marriage. Say Somerville wanted to legalize equal marriage within the City of Somerville, and this was perfectly legal to do if a referendum passed. Can you imagine the outside wingnuts flocking to vote in our local election to overrule legitimate local vote on the matter?
Re: One person one vote
From:Re: One person one vote
From:Re: One person one vote
From:Re: One person one vote
From:Re: Exactly who is being excluded here?
Date: 2009-11-04 07:49 pm (UTC)legal residentU.S. citizen