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eniwetok

(1,629 posts)
25. the bigger question is why do Dems ignore civic inequality in the vote?
Sun Mar 27, 2016, 08:43 PM
Mar 2016

In the 60's landmark voters rights cases in the south made illegal all vote weighting/dilution schemes which gave some citizens in county X a bigger vote than citizens in county Y. From Reynolds v Sims

http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-supreme-court/377/533.html

It could hardly be gainsaid that a constitutional claim had been asserted by an allegation that certain otherwise qualified voters had been entirely prohibited from voting for members of their state legislature. And, if a State should provide that the votes of citizens in one part of the State should be given two times, or five times, or 10 times the weight of votes of citizens in another part of the State, it could hardly be contended that the right to vote of those residing in the disfavored areas had not been effectively diluted. It would appear extraordinary to suggest that a State could be constitutionally permitted to enact a law providing that certain of the State's voters could vote two, five, or 10 times for their legislative representatives, while voters living elsewhere could vote only once. And it is inconceivable that a state law to the effect that, in counting votes for legislators, the votes of citizens in one part of the State would be multiplied by two, five, or 10, while the votes of persons in another area would be counted only at face value, could be constitutionally sustainable.


Our entire federal system is based on such vote weighting/dilution schemes. Any citizen living in WY has a 72x bigger influence in the Senate than any citizen in CA. No, this doesn't even out in the House since any given citizen gets only one House member... not the entire state delegation. Any citizen in WY has a 3.5x bigger presidential vote than any citizen in CA. Where does this civic inequality lead? In determining the outcome of election 2000... the vote of any citizen in Bush's FL lead weighed as much as 1000 citizens in Gore's national lead.




They don't. L. Coyote Nov 2015 #1
You're right, elleng Nov 2015 #2
Exactly My Point Yallow Nov 2015 #3
They understand all right. Baobab May 2016 #42
Status quo. That is the only game either party plays. Why no change in hackable voting machines? LiberalArkie Nov 2015 #5
Exactly. You will NEVER see anything but a Republican House and Senate.. MrWendel Nov 2015 #4
I Didn't Even Mention Gerrymandering Yallow Nov 2015 #7
Don Siegelman Won His Elections - Was Jailed For Complaining About Being Screwed Yallow Nov 2015 #6
Democrats are not and have never "ignored" voter supression. Nitram Nov 2015 #8
New election laws are needed. And especially ones that with by pass the "States Rights" MrWendel Nov 2015 #9
Looking towards 2016 election, Wellstone ruled Nov 2015 #10
Way too late to fix 2016. jeff47 Nov 2015 #12
There are legal ways of preventing Wellstone ruled Nov 2015 #14
Hillaryt Clinton has advocated some really good voting rights proposal Gothmog Nov 2015 #11
Make Fighting Voter Suppression Priority #1 Instead Of Priority #51 Yallow Nov 2015 #16
just what are voting rights for all? eniwetok Mar 2016 #35
The senate was designed that way... Agschmid Mar 2016 #37
I know... eniwetok Mar 2016 #38
Because then we'd win. And once we win, those pesky voters expect results. jeff47 Nov 2015 #13
/\_/\_This right here_/\_/\ Scuba Nov 2015 #19
That is very well put, isn't it. Ghost Dog Mar 2016 #29
The Left doesn't control the media. toddwv Nov 2015 #15
If The Left Shut Down The Government To Bring Voting Rights To Folks Yallow Nov 2015 #17
Sure, we'd hear about it. toddwv Nov 2015 #18
How Democrats Suppress The Vote Stellar Nov 2015 #20
if Dems wanted to increase the voter turnout... eniwetok Mar 2016 #33
We could have started by not gutting the VRA... But we missed the boat on that one. Agschmid Mar 2016 #34
the VRA never guaranteed civic equality in the vote eniwetok Mar 2016 #39
The VRA would have absolutely stopped what happened in AZ from happening. Agschmid Mar 2016 #40
I know a progressive group focused on voting rights Alison Hartson Nov 2015 #21
Looking for groups that support Voter Registration in Red States SleeplessinSeattle55 Feb 2017 #44
Both parties gerrymander, but Republicans suppress votes. SaveTheMackerel Feb 2016 #22
Dems vs GOPers eniwetok Mar 2016 #31
Well... V 4 C C i IN E Mar 2016 #23
super delegates eniwetok Mar 2016 #30
Agree Rparker123 Mar 2016 #24
not that arbitary eniwetok Mar 2016 #28
It may be arbitrary but its the same rule for all Travis_0004 Mar 2016 #32
the bigger question is why do Dems ignore civic inequality in the vote? eniwetok Mar 2016 #25
Thank you. SusanCalvin Mar 2016 #26
Those who don't vote and let the repubs take over states are partly to blame. upaloopa Mar 2016 #27
I've been asking this question a loooooooong time! Kip Humphrey Mar 2016 #36
Retail caging PATRICK Apr 2016 #41
two things clarkkentvotes Sep 2016 #43
TAXPAYER_VOTERID Asa Gordon Feb 2017 #45
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