In Ohio they run for office see Jim Traficant. I could swear that Ohio has had a few other criminals run and I think WV had at least one guy run (some while they were still in jail).
Wash DC re-elected their mayor once he was done with his cocaine conviction.
They haven’t paid their debt to society. Certain states have determined that one of the punishments for certain crimes is never voting again. So long as they’re alive, they haven’t finished that punishment.
That doesn’t mean that a specific punishment is necessarily a good idea, but there’s no inherent reason why all punishments absolutely have to end at the same time.
It’s just the simplest way to register. You can also register once the writ drops at the local Returning Officer’s offices. If you’re not registered by election day, you swear a declaration of eligibility at the polling station. (I’ve had to do the twice, because the tax return registration didn’t work for some reason. But, not a problem - just an extra five minutes.
Any CanadIan citizen resident in the riding has the right to vote, including cons and ex-cons. I think there may be a six month waiting period, if you’ve just moved to the riding, but instead you vote at your old riding.
No special tax, but a false declaration on a tax return is an offence.
Almost everyone has to complete a tax return. Even people who don’t, of which there aren’t a lot, are probably going to want to. You might make so little that you get a refund and end up paying no tax, but you usually still have to complete a return or else how would you get your refund?
You can register other ways.
Registering is easy here, and the rules are the same everywhere.
Why, exactly? I certainly wish that turn-outs were higher, but why would you make it mandatory? Why infringe on the people’s right not to give a hang?
Besides, it’s so easy to get around. A bloke will just write in Mickey Mouse, or vote for the single least likely candidate to win. You’d see a LOT more votes for the Green Party, the Peace and Freedom Party, etc. Heck, the Communists would make a come-back! Why go to all the fuss and effort to make people do something that is meaningless?
Believe me, I know all about “get out the vote” drives. I participate! And I meet a lot of people who’d rather just go home after work and watch TV. It saddens me… But it is a freedom that should not be abridged.
OOPS! My apologies; I didn’t notice there was already a GD thread on the topic. Please never mind this response; I’ll go there instead.
They’re still subject to the laws and taxes of the country. In Florida, selling marijuana can result in a permanent disenfranchisement, despite moves towards its decriminalisation in other states.
Voting isn’t a right, it’s a civic obligation. I don’t consider it to be any more “optional” than jury duty.
By “it’s a civil obligation,” do you mean “I really want it to be a civil obligation”? Because right now, it’s objectively false that voting is an obligation anywhere in the US.
ETA: And if you want to sell people on the abolition of their democratic rights, you might want to compare it to something that doesn’t suck most of the time.