Politics

so we know that voting requires some sort of identification, and most government ID require processing fees and stuff no matter which country you are in. aren't most government agencies that issue picture ID also only open during weekday work hours? so how is it different between other countries and USA? we have been talking about that USA disfranchise their minority voters so much that it's internationally infamous, but I am wondering how it's different in other countries.

even if you have birth certificate as the 1st identification you get in your life, if you are going to get any government issued picture ID, you have to pay the processing fee.

this brings to the point that people made here. if you need to pay for a picture ID to vote, then that's equivalent of voting tax and that inhibits your voting rights guaranteed by the constitution. how do other countries deal with this problem?

what about Canada? we also got a few Europeans here. we never really heard about voter ID problems in other western nations even though this figurative voting tax seems to be a very basic thing.

The American political system is fairly unique and can't really be compared to other countries. We essentially have 50 unique governments plus the federal government. We also have a history and trying to deprive others the right to vote based on things such as poll taxes.

While it is interesting to look at other countries and how they deal with the issue, you can't really just say something like "oh it works there so makes sense for here"

Not saying that you are, just pointing it out.

I want to see how the figurative voting tax thing working out. maybe other countries have been having this voting tax thing and therefore breaking their constitution, but no one ever pointed out because they didn't doubt the system.

JigglePhysicsX posted...

I want to see how the figurative voting tax thing working out. maybe other countries have been having this voting tax thing and therefore breaking their constitution, but no one ever pointed out because they didn't doubt the system.

Such a trivial "voting tax" is simply ignored in most other industrialized countries. Only the US takes the concept to the extreme that we do. Then again, no other country has any particular prohibition on poll taxes, at least as far as I know.

My understanding is that most countries require ID in general. The US has avoided creating a federal ID system largely because this is politically controversial. Every time there has been an effort to integrate state ID systems, or create a federal identification system it gets met with huge lobbying efforts primarily by religious groups who believe that the anti-christ starts everything off with a federal ID system.


First he creates a federal ID system, then he creates credit card watches, then something something sodomy and alcohol and dear sweet Jesus deliver me from temptation.

In Denmark, the govt mails you a voting card with a serial number. The card is tied to a specific poll place. You then go there on election day where you present the card to an official who registers your name and serial number and asks for your SSN, then confirms it all with a list he has been provided.

All citizens are automatically registered voters, there is no charge for any of this.


We do not have voter fraud.

just wondering, how much does it cost to get the most basic government issued picture ID in your country? say a citizenship card with your picture on it and stuff.

does any government ever provide anyone with a picture ID for free? is it possible to live through a whole life without a picture ID in this day and age?
even something as simple as cashing a government check requires a photo ID, but that ID isn't free.
it's weird. when a teen reaches 18 and becomes a legally responsible citizen, the government doesn't even issue a citizenship card to its citizen without charge. that makes life pretty hard if he doesn't drive.

JigglePhysicsX posted...

maybe other countries have been having this voting tax thing and therefore breaking their constitution

What?

In Korea, everyone is given an ID and everything is tied to it. It's easy to get, cheap and pretty much everyone has it ASAP.

India is in the process of (or maybe they finished) fingerprinting every single last citizen (all 1.2 billion of them) so that it can be used as government ID. Pretty much every other country with a central government except the US issues some form of unique ID to its citizens [1]. In America, IDs cost money from the person getting the ID. In other countries they're paid for by tax dollars so even the poorest citizen can get one. The US is also unique in that if it ever did try to fingerprint every citizen or issue some kind of national ID, the same people who scream about voter fraud would start pulling their hair about the government making lists of people for things like taking away their guns. It's all very hypocritical.

In case the point has been lost: other countries give their citizens IDs for free. The US charges for them. Therefore requiring an ID to vote is transitively equivalent to requiring money to vote, i.e. a poll tax.

[1] What about Social Security, you ask? The law actually says that S.S. is not to be used as a form of identification even though everyone except for the government does. Also, it's easy to spoof.