A question on who can vote.?

Question

a number of years ago, when I worked a poll as clerk, there was a gentleman who brought all the residents of his group home to vote. The home was for the mentally and physically challenged and he had completed the forms that gave him the right to 'assist' them in voting. Now I understand that cerebral palsy affects the body and not the mind, so people with this are more than competent to vote. But my question is this, for the ones who have limited mental capacity and may not even understand the process, should they be allowed to vote? Does his 'assisting them' to vote give him more than his 'one man one vote' status? Would like opinions on this.

Answer 1

Well, the assisting part is indeed an issue, but let's assume that he's sworn to not participate in the act of selection and/or that he's bonded or otherwise certifiably honorable.

The question I have is, what IS the law regarding any citizen of majority with regard to mental capacity and voting rights? Since you have worked the polls, do you happen to know the letter of the law (or an accurate paraphrase) on this point? It had never occurred to me, frankly.

Answer 2

As stupid as it sounds the developmentally disabled people where I work can and do vote. Of course, they don't make the choices because they ask one of the staff members or their family members to select for them since they can't even read.

I've heard that the same thing goes on in nursing homes with demented patients.

I think it's outrageous.

This is in California.

Answer 3

I believe this varies state to state, in fact I believe I heard this was a ballot issue in New Jersey or some other North Eastern states.

Answer 4

In most states, a person who has been declared mentally incompetent is not entitled to vote for precisely this reason.

Answer 5

bah, as proven during the last couple of prez elections, you don't even have to be alive to vote republican.