Should people have to own 1/5 of an acre of land to vote?

[Bono]

If it's a new one, why did it exist from the beginning of the United States all the way up until the 1960s, particularly in many southern and western legislatures? No, I'm afraid your idea is the new one. You just don't want to deal with the basic facts.

Areas have an inherent right to self-rule. People should be able to move freely from one area to another and expect, spare some uniformity, a choice.

So, out of curiosity, what if within counties, townships begin to be annoyed that they are being ruled by other parts of the counties?

If I'm not mistaken, there is a provision in the Wyoming law that a area with a certain number of people can just vote to become a county.

[A18]

They should move to a different county, I suppose. I certainly see your point that there has to be a point where we say, accept majority rule or move. I am simply advocating a smaller unit than you are.

However, I am not quite as staunch a supporter of county rights as I used to be, largely because a fair district system will already 'reward' in a much more minute way the interests of a well spread out majority over a compact one. I think what I would adopt is a unicameral, with districts drawn along county lines to the extent that is practicable. Remember about a week back when I posted those two Virginia constitutional amendments on redistricting, and no one responded?

Well, basically, that's what I'd do, using the two branch system we have now:

(1) Establish a Virginia Redistricting Commission to redraw Congressional and General Assembly district boundaries after each decennial census.

(2) Appointments to the five-member Commission are made in the census year from a pool of 25 nominees selected by the Supreme Court. Appointments are made from the pool as follows:
--One each by the Speaker of the House of Delegates, the President pro tempore of the Senate, and the minority leader in each house.
--The four members appointed then select the fifth member and Commission chair by a majority vote; or, if they cannot agree, the Supreme Court shall name the fifth member.

(3) The standards to govern redistricting plans include population equality, compactness, competitiveness, and county/locality integrity.

I think I would also have half the senators chosen every two years, using the same districts for each class. Right now, I believe they are all chosen every four years.

[MaC]

of course, but it's also imperative that they be white, male, Protestants too. 

[7,052,770]

why bump this?

Anyhow, since I'm here, I'll say absolutely not.  option 3.  The US Senate should be abolished too.

[MaC]

why bump this?

Anyhow, since I'm here, I'll say absolutely not.  option 3.  The US Senate should be abolished too.

Good idea, less politicians the better.  Pretentious small states getting all the political power ...

[Andrew]

Restricting a portion of the population from voting has never been a popular idea.

I would be willing to bet that a majority of Americans would agree with a proposal to prohibit Muslims from voting.  I think that most Americans would probably approve of disenfranchising Communists, atheists, and homosexuals, also.

[KillerPollo]

Yes

[GOP = Terrorists]

I'd fight, kill, and die in order to preserve our democracy.

[A18]

What democracy?

[bgwah]

What democracy?

Like the one in Washington State that elected Christine Gregoire, despite the Republican Party's attempts to disenfranchise King County.



And to say cities rule states is ridiculous. I can't think of any state where a city makes up a majority of the population. Seattle makes up 1/12 of my state.

If anything, the suburbs, which would probably still be allowed to vote under a 1/5th rule, rule the state.

[A18]

Make it 100 acres of land and a mule.

[MaC]

Make it 100 acres of land and a mule.

uhh, no.  1/5 of an acre is fine.  But the mule part, keep.

[opebo]

No, but perhaps white people should get 2/5th of a vote in retribution for what they did tot he blacks.

[opebo]

And perhaps prostitutes should have to own themselves to vote.

"own themselves"?  What are you talking about, you dim-witted misogynist?

[Alcon]

I'm talking about women who sell themselves, moron.  And the way you treat womem it'd make much more sense to call you a misogynist.

You can't literally sell away your person and right to vote...