The last time I voted, Am I wrong about this?

Aunt Bea said:
I'm curious are all Canadians required to file an income tax return?

Does that mean you don't have to be a Canadian citizen to vote?
Click to expand...
Yes all Canadians AND Permanent Residents have to file a annual income tax return, EVEN if they had no income in the year. Why ? Because even if you had no income, by filling a tax return you are qualifying for a number of Federal and Provincial support programs that you MAY be entitled to receive. This is especially important to Canadian seniors, so they are able to take advantage of the social services benefits they are entitled to.

Yes you MUST BE A CANADIAN CITIZEN TO VOTE, in any election, national, or Provincial or municipal. Permanent Residents are people who have applied to immigrate to Canada, who have been investigated and approved by the Federal Government tp come here, to live and work. They have ALL of the same rights as a Canadian citizen, BUT they cannot vote or hold public office. When they have lived in Canada for 4 years, they can apply for Citizenship, and once they have been granted it they can vote. Permanent Residents who apply are scored based on their education ( we want University graduates ) and their actual working experience, their financial status ( we require a individual to have at least $18,000 CDN in their bank account, so they can support themselves for at least a year, when they arrive in Canada ) For a family of 4 that amount will be $35,000. They must also take a international test ( in their own country, at their own expense ) to prove that they can read, write, understand and speak either English or French at a high school level of ability. The results of their testing and their other attributes, will bring a score of at least 480 points. If their score is lower than 480 their application is rejected. It is a world wide competition, not a immigration lottery. Jimb,.
 
Gaer said:
The last time I voted, there was a long table with four ladies sitting behind them.
The first lady asked my name.
She checked my name off a list. They handed me the ballot.
Click to expand...
That's the same as they did in Nebraska. Presumably if there were duplicate same names they would ask for address or something to narrow down which name they checked off their list. We only have one polling place that we are assigned to, so I'd guess the list system is adequate, at least for a low population density place like rural Nebraska. I don't remember what method was used in Colorado and Maryland, maybe the voter id card that they mail out to people.
 
Even if voter fraud concerns are not well based I still think we need to address them. Do what we can to make people more confident in the system.

I think that could be done, at least in part, by a number of means such as:
  • Nationalize the voting process, I am not normally a fan of federal intervention in things, but in this case many of the problems or apparent problems, come from isolated areas.
  • Require reasonable voter identification, I don't want this to stop anyone from voting, but done right it should not.
  • Track voting by some kind of automated system to prevent double voting, dead people, non-citizens etc. from voting. When a vote is in doubt flag it and investigate it quickly before the count is finalized.
  • Our social security system is pretty good at tracking deaths, perhaps that data could be shared with the folks tracking voters.
  • Make voter fraud a serious felony and enforce it. The threat of sending people to jail, if real, may be all it would take.
  • I like the Canadian idea of requiring everyone to file a federal income tax return, even if nothing is earned. Everyone who is a citizen or resides in the US should have to file one. Minor children could be included on their parent's. Seems a reasonable way to track folks and verify voters.
I know this would cost, but getting confidence in our voting system is important. I doubt it would make any difference in election outcomes, but would make it harder to claim or believe voter fraud.
 
Alligatorob said:
Even if voter fraud concerns are not well based I still think we need to address them. Do what we can to make people more confident in the system.

I think that could be done, at least in part, by a number of means such as:
  • Nationalize the voting process, I am not normally a fan of federal intervention in things, but in this case many of the problems or apparent problems, come from isolated areas.
  • Require reasonable voter identification, I don't want this to stop anyone from voting, but done right it should not.
  • Track voting by some kind of automated system to prevent double voting, dead people, non-citizens etc. from voting. When a vote is in doubt flag it and investigate it quickly before the count is finalized.
  • Our social security system is pretty good at tracking deaths, perhaps that data could be shared with the folks tracking voters.
  • Make voter fraud a serious felony and enforce it. The threat of sending people to jail, if real, may be all it would take.
  • I like the Canadian idea of requiring everyone to file a federal income tax return, even if nothing is earned. Everyone who is a citizen or resides in the US should have to file one. Minor children could be included on their parent's. Seems a reasonable way to track folks and verify voters.
I know this would cost, but getting confidence in our voting system is important. I doubt it would make any difference in election outcomes, but would make it harder to claim or believe voter fraud.
Click to expand...
Naaa, the people claiming voter fraud with our current system would still do so no matter what if their candidate lost. The only reason some people don't have confidence in our voting system is because people are lying about it. Perhaps we should start locking up people who intentionally lie to sow distrust.
 
SeniorBen said:
Naaa, the people claiming voter fraud with our current system would still do so no matter what if their candidate lost.
Click to expand...
Some probably, but not all. I think we could make at least some people more confident, even in losing. It could help isolate the small minority that will as you say make the claim no matter what.
SeniorBen said:
Perhaps we should start locking up people who intentionally lie to sow distrust.
Click to expand...
A tempting idea, but I am a believer in freedom of speech. Even for idiots... Better to find effective ways to show the lies.
 
Last edited:
SeniorBen said:
Perhaps we should start locking up people who intentionally lie to sow distrust.
Click to expand...
Or sue them to recover all the extra expense they will cause by their false claims. I think we already do have fraud detection measures in place, and historically the amount of fraud didn't justify the high expense of creating a bunch of additional hoops to jump through (especially since people already don't vote and I think most measures have been aimed at increasing the number of people who vote by making it easier, like auto-registered to vote when getting a driver's license and allowing mail-in voting).
 
rgp said:
A few elections back locally ...... someone did some follow-up on voters. Discovered that , a ward captains sister, who happened to be dead ... voted.
Click to expand...
Was this her?
zombie-woman-office-space.jpg
 
Gaer said:
Am I wrong about this?
The last time I voted, there was a long table with four ladies sitting behind them.
The first lady asked my name.
She checked my name off a list. They handed me the ballot.

Wait! "Don't you need my voter ID card?"
"No."
"My driver's licence?"
"No."
"Do you need my address?"
"No."

Well, something isn't right.
"Excuse me but, How do you know I am who I say I am without validation?"
"How do you know I even live in this district?"
"Doesn't this kinda open the door for voter fraud?"

The four ladies looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
Time for me to close my mouth and just vote.
Are we not to question this?
Click to expand...
You are not wrong. I have lived here in South Carolina for 27 years, and they have always checked my driver's license against a list of eligible voters. I always drag my voter registration card along, but they are primarily interested in the driver's license since it has a picture ID and an address.
 
sch404 said:
Since forever we've voted by mail in California. But ever since P45 screwed up the US Postal Service, we drop off our ballot in an official lockbox. We then get an email confirmation that our ballot has been received. Prior to P45 voter fraud was never an issue. Never anywhere in the United States in my 80 years of existence. Voter fraud only occurs when dictators rule. P45 was simply a failed, wannabee dictator. Unfortunately he still has many very stupid cult followers who think he is JESUS.
Click to expand...
In Colorado we vote by mail and our system has been very secure. We used to mail them at the post office, but we now use the drop boxes as not to overload the postal system. We can check that our ballot was received and counted.
 
SeniorBen said:
Naaa, the people claiming voter fraud with our current system would still do so no matter what if their candidate lost. The only reason some people don't have confidence in our voting system is because people are lying about it. Perhaps we should start locking up people who intentionally lie to sow distrust.
Click to expand...
Well said.
 
Nathan said:
I certainly don't agree with your politics either, but the thread was clearly designed to generate "voter fraud" outrage..and you know that.
Click to expand...
SeaBreeze said:
I agree, it's obvious to us all.
Click to expand...
I don't know... I don't think voter fraud made a bit of difference in the last election, and probably not in any election in modern times. However I have a number of friends and relatives who believe it did. They are mostly smart rational people.

Seems to me we can have a rational dialog without "outrage" on either side.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top