Explain Like I'm 5 (ELI5)

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ELI5 why do people in USA need to register to vote? (programming.dev)

submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I'd expect the state to have a list of all its citizens and their basic personal info (age) which could be used to determine their eligibility for voting. In my country, we get a "invitation" to the vote, with your voter station and info on how to change it.

Instead, I'm seeing posts about USA's "voter rolls", which are sometimes purged, which prevents people from voting. Isn't this an attack on the voting system and democracy itself?

So why doesn't USA have a list of voters? Are they stupid?

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[–] [email protected] 43 points 1 month ago (13 children)

Because voting regulations are left to the State governments, and each state government does it slightly differently, often with designs that are specifically intended to disenfranchise specific voters.

Further, because of the Electoral College, it is very important WHERE you vote. If I live in New York, I can't vote in Pennsylvania. I get lumped together with everyone in New York.

So my registration ties me to a "permanent address" that aligns with a state, their electoral college contribution, and the rules they've put in place to gather, validate, and verify the vote, all mixed with manipulation over the years to swing the vote wherever possible (see: gerrymandering)

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago (2 children)

We do have "permanent address" here too and it is used to determine the voter station and district and thus the representative candidates you can vote.

Is the "permanent address" a thing just for the voting system, or is it used for other bureaucracy as well?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Governmental agencies typically dont share data like that so you would have to give them your address separately. Imo its partially a republican "hurr no big govt" and jim crow type deal where republicans want to keep poor people and colored people from voting (less likely to have the time to register or have a fixed address).

[–] [email protected] -5 points 1 month ago

Republican?

Funny, I remember Democrats 50 years ago being anti-establishment.

Make up your mind.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Can't have a permanent address if a hurricane blows your wee Lego house away taps forehead

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Sorry, Florida doesn't have Lego houses. Their building codes require reinforced concrete ground floors (ground floor is block, with cement and rebar inside), and hurricane strapping for roofs.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

That only works after all the older buildings have been washed away

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

We have extra tough building codes. Hell, I have a Habitat for Humanity home, 30-miles inland, and it has the roof strapped to the foundation and 140mph rated windows.

But concrete ground floors aren't required, at least not off the beach. Even the newer beach homes are sticks and stucco. Maybe being on stilts negates any ground floor rule?

Funny you mention block though. The 50s beach houses are all 1-story cinder block, and unlike the new construction, they still exist.

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