02-07-2024, 10:53 PM
(02-07-2024, 09:00 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: This is something that has existed in some cities for years, though. It's not a new development and has been going on for close to a decade at least and it hasn't moved past that in any meaningful way. Only California, Maryland, and Vermont (and DC) have municipalities that allow non-citizens to vote in local elections. All states have language in their constitutions that indicate specifically citizens have the right to vote.
To be sure. And state constitutions can be changed. Let's not pretend that the world of 1996, as you mention later, is the world of today.
Quote:There is no affirmative right to vote at the federal level, but a 1996 law prohibits non-citizens from voting in federal elections.
A federal law prohibits a national gun registry. That doesn't prevent the Dems from continually demanding universal background checks, which would require a, you guessed it, national gun registry. For that matter a federal gun law prohibits gun manufacturers from being sued for the misuse of their product. That doesn't prevent people from suing them, or from Biden lying about them being them only industry with such protections, and that such protections need to end.
Our laws are only worth as much as those in power are willing to adhere to, and enforce, them (the past four years in LA County have dramatically proven that to me). The fear of what Trump might do if reelected should make any left leaning person keenly aware of this.
Quote:The amount of disentanglement it would take to have any serious push on this would be huge.
Maybe, lets even say probably. Would you say it's impossible? Or that it's not something some members of the Democratic party would push for? Let's be real, unthinkable positions from the 90's are now commonplace, and this is a process that builds on itself.
Quote:FWIW, it is a very interesting discussion to have, the idea of non-citizens voting. Here is a link for a brief rundown of the arguments: https://ballotpedia.org/Arguments_for_and_against_laws_permitting_noncitizens_to_vote_in_the_United_States
I've actually written position papers on both sides of this topic for various reasons, often in discussions around the characteristics of a polyarchy the way we quantify them.
I can understand the argument that anyone paying taxes should have a say in governance. After all, our nation was partly founded on outrage over a rejection of that principle. That being said, I don't think we ascribe the appropriate level of civil responsibility to the right to vote that we could, and definitely should. Voting should require a commitment to, and responsibility for, the state. That being the case, citizenship should be required. A vested, long term, interest should be present to exercise that type of political power, especially given the potential long term ramifications.
