Thread: A National Primary

Originally Posted by Libre

You have a right to vote in a general election.

No you don't. Your state decides if if will have an election for it's electors or if they will be selected by some other means. Had the 2000 thing in Florida not been resolved with the SCOTUS requiring the FL election law be followed the state legislature would have chosen the electors. IN fact U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is heading an attempt to have a constitutional amendment which does create the right to vote.

Originally Posted by Stinger

No you don't. Your state decides if if will have an election for it's electors or if they will be selected by some other means. Had the 2000 thing in Florida not been resolved with the SCOTUS requiring the FL election law be followed the state legislature would have chosen the electors. IN fact U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. is heading an attempt to have a constitutional amendment which does create the right to vote.

You are 100% correct. Thank you for the clarification. Voting is a states rights issue and the federal government only guarantees people the right not to be discriminated against based on race, religion, sex, etc. but there is no explicit right to vote.

I've been reading different links on google of "the right to vote". I am now very confused. I need to read some more.

Originally Posted by Migi e!

I've been reading different links on google of "the right to vote". I am now very confused. I need to read some more.

The only specific vote the Constitution gives you is for Senator and Representative, Senators by a later amendment, the 17th which should be "deratified" in my opinion. The states select the President not the people. The constitution says that the manner in which the states select their electors is up to the state legislature. They can do it by a popular vote, they can do it by having the legislature choose who they vote for, they could do it by having the legislature and the governor both decide or however they choose. They can do it winner take all or porportional. They just have to have it done by a certain date, certified by the chosen state authority usually the State Secretary. That protects the citizens of the state in case someone like Al Gore comes along and tries to steak the election through the courts. The state legislature controls it and can step in at anytime and throw out the results if need be and vote themselves.

Originally Posted by Stinger

The only specific vote the Constitution gives you is for Senator and Representative, Senators by a later amendment, the 17th which should be "deratified" in my opinion. The states select the President not the people. The constitution says that the manner in which the states select their electors is up to the state legislature. They can do it by a popular vote, they can do it by having the legislature choose who they vote for, they could do it by having the legislature and the governor both decide or however they choose. They can do it winner take all or porportional. They just have to have it done by a certain date, certified by the chosen state authority usually the State Secretary. That protects the citizens of the state in case someone like Al Gore comes along and tries to steak the election through the courts. The state legislature controls it and can step in at anytime and throw out the results if need be and vote themselves.

Thanks.
A very good chance that there could be another "Gore like incident" this election season if something isn't done to straighten out the mess the dems have made for themselves.