5 ms·

I have said for many years now that before anyone can vote they need to take a test. It's a dead simple 5 question T/F test. And you only have to get 3 right to

I have said for many years now that before anyone can vote they need to take a test. It's a dead simple 5 question T/F test. And you only have to get 3 right to vote.

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
JoeAltmaier 9y ago
This has been done many times before, to allow only the 'right' people to vote. Its been made illegal for a reason.
- js8 9y ago
  And to add: That reason is that democracy (voting) is not (primarily, although it often follows) about correctness of result, but about people's interests being represented.
j_m_b 9y ago
Something like a Louisiana literacy test!
opportune 9y ago
Far better to educate the general public so well that such a test becomes redundant, than to live in a society where such a test is necessary.
- cabalamat 9y ago
  > Far better to educate the general public so well that such a test becomes redundant Easier said than done!
  - opportune 9y ago
    True, but morally it's much better to try to bring everyone up to an acceptable level of political understanding, than to exclude people for the lack of that understanding, especially since ignorance wouldn't really be their own fault.
ahoy 9y ago
Seems onerous to administer, why not only allow land-owners to vote? Seems simpler to verify.
- lighthazard 9y ago
  I believe we don't have a land-owners only voting scheme because of our current landlord situation. Should a majority of our population not get a say in votes because they either won't or can't afford land?
  - twoquestions 9y ago
    This was always true, which is why this policy didn't last a decade after the Revolution.
  - opportune 9y ago
    You're responding to sarcasm
DanBC 9y ago
What would happen to people with a learning disability? Would you protect their vote? Or are they subhuman and not allowed to take part in democracy?
- DarkKomunalec 9y ago
  So children are subhuman?
- JoeAltmaier 9y ago
  That's a reasonable question, and reasonable people come down on different sides.
  - DanBC 9y ago
    No, reasonable people recognise CRPD. Particularly article 29: https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/article-29-participation-in-political-and-public-life.html https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-... > States Parties shall guarantee to persons with disabilities political rights and the opportunity to enjoy them on an equal basis with others, and shall undertake: > a) To ensure that persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others, directly or through freely chosen representatives, including the right and opportunity for persons with disabilities to vote and be elected, inter alia, by: > i. Ensuring that voting procedures, facilities and materials are appropriate, accessible and easy to understand and use; > ii. Protecting the right of persons with disabilities to vote by secret ballot in elections and public referendums without intimidation, and to stand for elections, to effectively hold office and perform all public functions at all levels of government, facilitating the use of assistive and new technologies where appropriate; > iii. Guaranteeing the free expression of the will of persons with disabilities as electors and to this end, where necessary, at their request, allowing assistance in voting by a person of their own choice; But also: https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/article-5-equality-and-non-discrimination.html https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-... https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/article-9-accessibility.html https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-... https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/article-12-equal-recognition-before-the-law.html https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-... https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/article-19-living-independently-and-being-included-in-the-community.html https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-... https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/article-21-freedom-of-expression-and-opinion-and-access-to-information.html https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-...
cabalamat 9y ago
Who decides the questions?
k-mcgrady 9y ago
I get where you are coming from but it all depends what is on the test. Although it would be inefficient my ideal situation would be that before casting your vote you have to read each parties manifesto, answer a few questions to prove you've read it (if you fail, you repeat until it's sure you understand the policies each party is putting forward), and then you cast your vote fully informed of what it actually means.

I have said for many years now that before anyone can vote they need to take a test. It's a dead simple 5 question T/F test. And you only have to get 3 right to vote.

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

JoeAltmaier 9y ago

This has been done many times before, to allow only the 'right' people to vote. Its been made illegal for a reason.

js8 9y ago
And to add: That reason is that democracy (voting) is not (primarily, although it often follows) about correctness of result, but about people's interests being represented.

j_m_b 9y ago

Something like a Louisiana literacy test!

opportune 9y ago

Far better to educate the general public so well that such a test becomes redundant, than to live in a society where such a test is necessary.

cabalamat 9y ago
> Far better to educate the general public so well that such a test becomes redundant Easier said than done!
- opportune 9y ago
  True, but morally it's much better to try to bring everyone up to an acceptable level of political understanding, than to exclude people for the lack of that understanding, especially since ignorance wouldn't really be their own fault.

ahoy 9y ago

Seems onerous to administer, why not only allow land-owners to vote? Seems simpler to verify.

lighthazard 9y ago
I believe we don't have a land-owners only voting scheme because of our current landlord situation. Should a majority of our population not get a say in votes because they either won't or can't afford land?
- twoquestions 9y ago
  This was always true, which is why this policy didn't last a decade after the Revolution.
- opportune 9y ago
  You're responding to sarcasm

DanBC 9y ago

What would happen to people with a learning disability? Would you protect their vote? Or are they subhuman and not allowed to take part in democracy?

DarkKomunalec 9y ago
So children are subhuman?
JoeAltmaier 9y ago
That's a reasonable question, and reasonable people come down on different sides.
- DanBC 9y ago
  No, reasonable people recognise CRPD. Particularly article 29: https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/article-29-participation-in-political-and-public-life.html https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-... > States Parties shall guarantee to persons with disabilities political rights and the opportunity to enjoy them on an equal basis with others, and shall undertake: > a) To ensure that persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others, directly or through freely chosen representatives, including the right and opportunity for persons with disabilities to vote and be elected, inter alia, by: > i. Ensuring that voting procedures, facilities and materials are appropriate, accessible and easy to understand and use; > ii. Protecting the right of persons with disabilities to vote by secret ballot in elections and public referendums without intimidation, and to stand for elections, to effectively hold office and perform all public functions at all levels of government, facilitating the use of assistive and new technologies where appropriate; > iii. Guaranteeing the free expression of the will of persons with disabilities as electors and to this end, where necessary, at their request, allowing assistance in voting by a person of their own choice; But also: https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/article-5-equality-and-non-discrimination.html https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-... https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/article-9-accessibility.html https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-... https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/article-12-equal-recognition-before-the-law.html https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-... https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/article-19-living-independently-and-being-included-in-the-community.html https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-... https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/article-21-freedom-of-expression-and-opinion-and-access-to-information.html https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-...

cabalamat 9y ago

Who decides the questions?

k-mcgrady 9y ago

I get where you are coming from but it all depends what is on the test. Although it would be inefficient my ideal situation would be that before casting your vote you have to read each parties manifesto, answer a few questions to prove you've read it (if you fail, you repeat until it's sure you understand the policies each party is putting forward), and then you cast your vote fully informed of what it actually means.