# Canadian and US Dopers: How many would meet the "need four native-born grandparents to vote" test? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 19, 2016, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-and-us-dopers-how-many-would-meet-the-need-four-native-born-grandparents-to-vote-test/772395 "2016-11-19T02:17:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-and-us-dopers-how-many-would-meet-the-need-four-native-born-grandparents-to-vote-test/772395/61 "2016-11-21T15:48:48Z")
Only one grandparent was born here and there is some question just where my mother was born so no — I don’t make that standard. (For generations, both sides of my family tended to move around between here, the Old Country, back to here, Back to the Old Country – fairly nomadic. So while mother’s side can honestly claim ancestry to the American Revolution and someone who served, actual place of birth becomes very much a YMMV situation.) ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-and-us-dopers-how-many-would-meet-the-need-four-native-born-grandparents-to-vote-test/772395/62 "2016-11-21T15:52:27Z")
US: My grandfather and his parents and grandparents could have voted. Canada: My grandmother could have voted, but none of her ancestors or descendants. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-and-us-dopers-how-many-would-meet-the-need-four-native-born-grandparents-to-vote-test/772395/63 "2016-11-21T16:33:30Z")
Maternal grandparents and Mom were born in England, so nope. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-and-us-dopers-how-many-would-meet-the-need-four-native-born-grandparents-to-vote-test/772395/64 "2016-11-21T16:40:45Z")
Father’s side: can trace lineage back to the Mayflower. But my mother was a war refugee. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-and-us-dopers-how-many-would-meet-the-need-four-native-born-grandparents-to-vote-test/772395/65 "2016-11-21T17:45:13Z")
Not 100% sure about my maternal grandfather, but I _think_ I have to go back one or two more generations to hit a non-natural born American citizen. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-and-us-dopers-how-many-would-meet-the-need-four-native-born-grandparents-to-vote-test/772395/66 "2016-11-21T17:52:16Z")
All four of my grandparents were born in Pennsylvania or Maryland. The most recent immigrants we’ve been able to find are in the 1750s from Rheinland-Pfalz. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-and-us-dopers-how-many-would-meet-the-need-four-native-born-grandparents-to-vote-test/772395/67 "2016-11-21T18:26:46Z")
I’m in under the wire, however my father would have been shit out of luck. Both sets of his grandparents were immigrants from the lands of the good old Habsburgs. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-and-us-dopers-how-many-would-meet-the-need-four-native-born-grandparents-to-vote-test/772395/68 "2016-11-21T21:10:52Z")
My maternal grandparents were both born in New Jersey, and the others were born in Arkansas and Nebraska. And I’m a white male landowner to boot! I should get at least three or four votes! ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-and-us-dopers-how-many-would-meet-the-need-four-native-born-grandparents-to-vote-test/772395/69 "2016-11-21T21:49:27Z")
I’m safe on my mom’s side I think, but just by one generation. My dad came over as a baby refugee from Lithuania during WW2, so no dice. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-and-us-dopers-how-many-would-meet-the-need-four-native-born-grandparents-to-vote-test/772395/70 "2016-11-21T23:41:09Z")
My father immigrated. My maternal grandparents and great-grandparents immigrated. My mother in law immigrated. And my firstborn was born in another country. By the 4th generation rubric, I’m not related to anyone who could ever vote. So if you want to create millions of people who will have to resort to the bullet because you denied them ballots, be my guest. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-and-us-dopers-how-many-would-meet-the-need-four-native-born-grandparents-to-vote-test/772395/71 "2016-11-21T23:59:49Z")
Not only could I vote but my grandparents could too and so could their grandparents. It is Americans all the way down for me. This is the “Old Country”. I would have to go back to the mid-1700’s at least for that not to be true. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-and-us-dopers-how-many-would-meet-the-need-four-native-born-grandparents-to-vote-test/772395/72 "2016-11-22T00:12:38Z")
My grandparents were all born in Canada. I’m not solid on all my great grandparents but pretty sure all eight were Canadian. I’m very boring and, in this regard, increasingly rare in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-and-us-dopers-how-many-would-meet-the-need-four-native-born-grandparents-to-vote-test/772395/73 "2016-11-22T02:16:53Z")
Three out of my four grandparents were born here (GA, GA, and RI), and the other wasn’t (came to WI as a girl). So, no. My wife wouldn’t qualify either. Both my kids would though. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-and-us-dopers-how-many-would-meet-the-need-four-native-born-grandparents-to-vote-test/772395/74 "2016-11-22T13:01:07Z")
One of my 4 grandparents was born here in Canada, one of my 4 grandparents I couldn’t tell you and two were immigrants. My paternal grandmother was born in Ontario, my paternal grandfather is unknown and my maternal grandparents immigrated together from the UK. My parents were both born here so I guess both my kids would be allowed to vote. What an excessively ridiculous suggestion. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-and-us-dopers-how-many-would-meet-the-need-four-native-born-grandparents-to-vote-test/772395/75 "2016-11-22T13:23:33Z")
Define “native born”. As someone else pointed out earlier what about grandparents born in Newfoundland before the 1940s or Hawaii before 1898 (or before 1958, even!) > [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > It goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) that Coulter is an idiot. Trump couldn’t even vote for himself if her proposed rule were in place. It needs to be said as much as possible. And yeah she’s just trolling with the tired schtick of defining “real” Americans. > [@](#): > > It is part of the genius of American law that someone naturalized an hour ago has exactly the same rights, no more and no less, as someone whose ancestors came over on the _Mayflower_. Well except for one job qualification and really, I hear the job’s a real PITA for what it pays. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-and-us-dopers-how-many-would-meet-the-need-four-native-born-grandparents-to-vote-test/772395/76 "2016-11-22T14:07:02Z")
All four of my grandparents were born in New Jersey. I’m pretty sure Mom’s traced her side back at least to the Revolutionary War, but my paternal great-grandparents were not all born in the US. I think one great-grandfather may have been born on the boat en-route, but I’m sure that doesn’t count. I’m positive that my grandma’s mother was born in Jerusalem. How my great-great-grandparents got there, I have never been sure. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-and-us-dopers-how-many-would-meet-the-need-four-native-born-grandparents-to-vote-test/772395/77 "2016-11-22T15:31:55Z")
My mother’s family goes back to the Mayflower. My father’s family, however, we’ve never been able to trace. Our DNA results show a lot of Russian/Native American, but we simply haven’t been able to track him down. We suspect he changed his name and came East escaping some crime. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-and-us-dopers-how-many-would-meet-the-need-four-native-born-grandparents-to-vote-test/772395/78 "2016-11-22T15:48:56Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Not only could I vote but my grandparents could too and so could their grandparents. It is Americans all the way down for me. This is the “Old Country”. I would have to go back to the mid-1700’s at least for that not to be true. I can go back at least 4 generations on both sides. My grandparents could vote no problem. My great grandparents most likely could, though I have a few I can’t find on my mother’s side. My father’s side all came to Maryland and Virginia and stayed in the mid 1700s. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-and-us-dopers-how-many-would-meet-the-need-four-native-born-grandparents-to-vote-test/772395/79 "2016-11-22T16:04:36Z")
I’d be allowed to vote, but my wife and kids wouldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2016, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-and-us-dopers-how-many-would-meet-the-need-four-native-born-grandparents-to-vote-test/772395/80 "2016-11-22T16:10:28Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > …Well except for one job qualification and really, I hear the job’s a real PITA for what it pays. Yes, there is that - and yet there’s never a lack of people who’d like to have it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-and-us-dopers-how-many-would-meet-the-need-four-native-born-grandparents-to-vote-test/772395.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/canadian-and-us-dopers-how-many-would-meet-the-need-four-native-born-grandparents-to-vote-test/772395.md?page=5)