Where do i stand politicaly.

[UnderseaLcpl]

Originally Posted by vienna

The purpose of registering is mainly to help ensure a person does not vote more than once in a given election; names, addresses, etc. are compared to detect duplicate registrations.

Close, but not quite correct. The main purpose of registering is to help ensure that people who actually vote do so along party lines. The only reason we have our voter and party guidelines we have is to shut out competition from third parties. Don't take my word for it, try to start a party yourself. I'll hold my breath while you gather the requisite 40,000 signatories, and that's in Texas where the guidelines are comparatively lax.

When it comes to persons themselves, the parties could care less about who votes or how many times. The Democratic party has no compunction about getting dead people to vote or bribing illiterates to vote, and the Republican party has no compunction about redistricting votes in their favor. Actually, neither party has a stance against that, but the Reps are better at it.

Registering as a member of a party is really mostly governed by localities (states, counties). In order to select a candidate to represent a particular party for a particular office, primary elections are held where the voters in each party vote from a selction of candidates within the party and the candidate garnering the most votes goes on to represent the party in the main General Election. Therefore, only the voters officially registered in the party can vote from the party's list of candidates. Not all localities have primaries in this manner; some localities have "open" primaries where a voter can vote for a candidate across party lines.

That's what they'd like you to think. The truth is... well, what you just said. It's just a mechanism for polarizing the vote along party lines. Nothing more, nothing less. You won't find open primaries in any district that matters, nor will you find third-party candidates on their ballots. It's an extortion racket, albeit a cleverly concealed one.

Here in California we do not have open primaries.

Most states don't. The idea is supposedly to prevent subversives from voting against a viable candidate, but the real reason is to separate voters and side-line third parties and independent candidates. Don't take my word for it, just fill out a false voter registration form. Nobody is going to do a background check. You can vote two or three times if you like, maybe more, as long as you register in different counties.

Both parties are quite fond of the two-party system, and they are keen to keep it as such, hence the system we have now.


That's my interpretation, anyways. Maybe I'm right and maybe I'm wrong, but it can't hurt to be mindful of the nature of the system and the results it has given us.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl

Don't take my word for it, just fill out a false voter registration form. Nobody is going to do a background check. You can vote two or three times if you like, maybe more, as long as you register in different counties.

I doubt that. In Virginia all voter registrations are verified and you can only vote in the county where you are a residence. I am sure that the other states have similar protections.

[UnderseaLcpl]

Originally Posted by Platapus

I doubt that. In Virginia all voter registrations are verified and you can only vote in the county where you are a residence. I am sure that the other states have similar protections.

A minor obstacle. Had I the care to do so I could register and vote in Virginia and then vote again under a different name, provided I had the requisite SS number, which isn't really difficult to obtain.

I've served as a registrar in county and state elections. Nobody checks your identity or cross-references it, nobody cares, nor do they have the means to do so if they did care. You have entirely too much faith in the system, my friend.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl

I've served as a registrar in county and state elections. Nobody checks your identity or cross-references it, nobody cares, nor do they have the means to do so if they did care. You have entirely too much faith in the system, my friend.

No I just happen to be an Election Official and I know how the system works in my state. Perhaps your state has different rules.

[UnderseaLcpl]

Originally Posted by Platapus

No I just happen to be an Election Official and I know how the system works in my state. Perhaps your state has different rules.

It probably does. Nonetheless, I could vote multiple times in your state. You have no photo-ID system, nor do you have a reliable database to consult. You have no measures in place to ensure that I don't vote under a different identity, provided that I have an SS number, which could easily obtain from others. I don't even need to know which state you live in to make such an assertion. Election official or no, you do not have the means to identify me. I could vote in another county under a different and totally valid name and SS# and you would be none the wiser. You have no means to cross-reference my identity, not that I'd ever do such a thing.

Don't take my word for it, though. Just look at the number of voter-fraud cases. Those people managed to get past people just like you with little difficulty. Intelligent as you are, you place too much faith in your abilities and those of others.

[August]

Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl

I could vote multiple times in your state

So maybe a person could vote, what, maybe 5 to 10 times using that exploit? I'd think any more would just invite getting caught. Well if so it'd still take literally an army of conspirators doing that to have a material effect on even state or local elections, let alone the national ones.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by UnderseaLcpl

Don't take my word for it, though.

No worries, I don't.

[STEED]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Centrist?

Try this:

http://www.politicalcompass.org/

I did, found some of the questions a bit to much in the grey area.