# Non-Americans Voting in US Election

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-voting-in-us-election/236060>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [March 24, 2004, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-voting-in-us-election/236060 "2004-03-24T02:48:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-voting-in-us-election/236060/41 "2004-03-26T00:44:53Z")

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Aliens have had the right to vote at various times in American history. I seem to recall, although I can’t find a link, that during the early 1900s, aliens could get the right to vote by “taking out papers”, i.e. declaring their intent to apply for citizenship at such time as they became eligible.

Not that I am advocating a return to this policy.

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**Author:** ![Tokyo\_Mann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@Tokyo\_Mann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tokyo_Mann)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-voting-in-us-election/236060/42 "2004-03-26T01:57:51Z")

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> [@BrainGlutton](#):
>
> Look, is there any country on Earth that **does** allow non-citizens to vote in its elections? (I mean, as a matter of law or policy, not as a practical result of oversights in the registration process.)

Yes. Please read my earlier post in this thread. It discusses this briefly.

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**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-voting-in-us-election/236060/43 "2004-03-26T02:41:14Z")

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> [@Gaudere](#):
>
> [Moderator Hat hurriedly put back ON]
> 
> Actually, upon further review I see Grey was referring to the term “USer’s” as moronic, not any poster. Saying that is fine. Sorry, Grey.
> 
> [Moderator Hat OFF]

No problem, thanks.

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**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2004, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-americans-voting-in-us-election/236060/44 "2004-03-26T02:43:12Z")

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> [@askeptic](#):
>
> ::still a little chagrined:: as to the n/50…beats me I was just going with the flow…

Look it made lots of sense in my head at the time. 🙂

Now are we ever going to get some actual rebuttal from the OP?

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