Should a test be given to see if a person is eligible to vote?

Question

Should we as Americans have to fill out a questionaire to be eligible to vote in up coming presidential election?

Answer 1

no!

i believe if you'll check your history, this was done in the past with the intent of excluding certain people from casting ballots. americans are guaranteed the right to vote for their representatives. a quiz or questionnaire might discriminate against certain people in the same way some standardized tests show bias against certain groups of people. registering to vote SHOULD be a requirement, but not completing a quiz.

and as a question of fairness, wouldn't the party in power be tempted to make the questionnaire filter out those who might like to see that party out of power? there are ways to tamper far more sinister than re-districting...

Answer 2

No. Eventually that would just lead to discrimination against someone. It is our constituational right for everyone to vote, regardless of how they do on a test. That's just the way it is, and it's a good system. I mean, midterm elections America VOTED and decided that the current congress wasn't doing a good job, so they changed it.

Answer 3

I understand the frustration of realizing that the people who are guests on the Jerry Springer show can vote and that their vote counts as much as my vote.

However, is it a small price to pay.

History has shown us that when used, these test are abused. They serve as a way of oppressing one group of people. After the civil war they were used as part of the Jim Crow rules to prevent the freed slaves from voting.

So, no, we should never have a test to allow voting. Rather we should spend money to make people into educated voters.

Below is the wikipedia link on the voting rights act that repealed such test and restriction. Speaking of unfair, note that the tests often had a "grandfather clause" in it which stated if "your grandfather could vote, you could vote even if you fail." This allowed illiterate whites to vote.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting_Rights_Act

Answer 4

No. Why not you ask?...well it's because the outcomes of elections effect EVERYONE, not just the smart, or the employeed. An even worse thought would be to consider who would write the questions to determine who could vote. Think about that for a bit.

Answer 5

NO! First of all, that is unconstitutional.
Second (and this is WHY it's unconstitutional) such tactics are used for one and only one reason--so that those in power can disenfranchise people who might vote against them. There's plenty of history behind that--that's the kind of trick racists used in the Jim Crow South to keep blacks from voting.

No real American would favor--or tolerate--that kind of abuse of civil rights.

Answer 6

No. The only requirement should and is to be a citizen and to register to vote. It would be a good idea to create a voter ID card that is issued on registration.

Answer 7

No... That is breaking a right that is guaranteed in our constitution. The south used literary tests to test african americans if they could read and write, since they couldnt they couldnt be allowed to vote.

Answer 8

Voting tests were ruled unconstitutional years ago. The South used them to keep African Americans from voting.

Answer 9

The use of tests and poll taxes have been deemed illegal by the courts. It is enough that each citizen meet the basic requirements set by the state and federal governments.

Answer 10

No all men and women are created equal in this country and are all eligible to vote.