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To register to vote one should be required to first pass a literacy test and a test of basic knowledge of American history. Voting should be the province of the intelligent rather than the illiterate who likely only vote as instructed. And without a basic knowledge of American history one should not be trusted to make informed decisions on the future of the nation.
At one time, during Jim Crow, such provisions were abused by Southern States to disenfranchise some voters. That should never be acceptable. But the literacy test was law across much of the US, at one time, including the law in New York State for new voter registrations. It was administrated fairly. The idea is sound and should be revived.
Agreed 100%. It is sad how ignorant Americans are: 32 million adults cannot even read! The fact that someone who is illiterate or an ex convict (even of a felony) can vote seems silly to me. We already have an age restriction; why not add a basic intelligence one?
Literacy and intelligence are not the same thing.
I think that because everyones idea of intelligence is different these days the literacy test idea may be a dangerous mechanism to allowing onnly people with a particular belief system or cultural slant to vote. Also, very bright and highly intelligent and informed people may suffer from LD or language deficits.
So who writes the literacy test? Should it require the degree of literacy required by a lawyer or a professional scholar of political science (limit franchise only to the best educated)? Should it test for correct attitudes (we wouldn’t want people who are homophobic or racist voting, would we?). Whose view of American history should we test (if you don’t realize that Barack Obama saved America, can you be trusted to vote).
In practice, America has 100% literacy. It should be noted, that literacy was never a required to die fighting for America. Literacy isn’t a requirement to pay taxes.
Joseph, how many Satmar chassidim would pass a test on American history? What would happen to their voting power in their area if they lost their right to vote?
The Supreme court ruled in the 60’s that literary tests were unconstitutional
Bad idea. Plain and simply said, it is wrong and illegal. Straight out of the Voting Rights Act of 1965:
(1) Congress hereby declares that to secure the rights under the fourteenth amendment of persons educated in American-flag schools in which the predominant classroom language was other than English, it is necessary to prohibit the States from conditioning the right to vote of such persons on ability to read, write, understand, or interpret any matter in the English language.
(2) No person who demonstrates that he has successfully completed the sixth primary grade in a public school in, or a private school accredited by, any State or territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in which the predominant classroom language was other than English, shall be denied the right to vote in any Federal, State, or local election because of his inability to read, write, understand, or interpret any matter in the English language, except that, in States in which State law provides that a different level of education is presumptive of literacy, he shall demonstrate that he has successfully completed an equivalent level of education in a public school in, or a private school accredited by, any State or territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in which the predominant classroom language was other than English.
Besides, I would certainly see this working against every single person who speaks Yiddish or Yeshivish as their primary language.
many of the people who run for office seem to be dummies, so all people should have an equal opportunity to vote for them
In practice literacy tests were and are (where they are allowed) targetted against undesirabled. To many Americans, especially the secular Jews who have great influence, we frum Jews are especially undesirable.
Better to have the current rule – everyone gets to vote (except convicted criminals and children).
Joseph: And what about me who won’t vote at my local polling place because it’s in a church?
Joseph: Good luck with that. I’d settle for picture ID’s o prevent voter fraud.
The average public school student couldn’t pass the test you’re suggesting. There was a video of interviews of Harvard students on basic civics. Many couldn’t pass it either. It’s a dumbed down society and liberals like it that way.
Once you start restricting voting privelages it may as well be ancient Greece or a monarchy instead of modern democracy. The point in democracy is to give everyone a voice in the government.
that’s a dumb point then. why is it logical for every fool have a say? and anyway, the u.s. is a republic, not a democracy
All humans are fools. Fools have rights. And yes, the U.S. is a republic, but the same message board license (similar to a poetic license) that allows imperfect grammar also allows us to sometimes use a word that may not be exactly accurate.
Joseph: You wrote “The literacy and history test needs only to be a very basic and minimal threshold to pass. “. Correct. And depending on who writes the test, anyone so politically incorrect and stupid and ignorant, as to believe that the world was created by a superhuman diety, or who denies the clear truths of global warming, evolution and eugenics, or who unwisely disregards the absolute truth of Keynesian economics, or who naively believes in American exceptionalism –
“shouldn’t be deciding who carries the nuclear suitcase. “
If you needed to pass a literacy and history test 50% wouldn’t pass.
As it is you need to take these tests in college otherwise you have to take remedial courses in your freshman college year. It would be unconstitutional to deny them the vote.
You would be surprised by the number of people who have trouble with reading comprehension.
Don’t forget that in Bloomingburg, NY they disregarded almost all the Satmar voters in order for them to get their man elected mayor. The Satmars are currently suing the town.
Voting is very sacred and you shouldn’t be able to take it away.
Joseph
Only a little over 50% vote in presidential elections. In random testing of the man in the street by radio shows 4 out of 5 couldn’t say who was the president, nor who was their congressman or senator. Yet when asked about a singer or actor 4 out of 5 knew the correct answer.
Using your logic only taxpayers should be allowed to vote. But only something like 47% of the population pays taxes.
They can’t even require photo id at the polls and you want want an informed voter! An informed voter would vote most of these bums (congress person) out of office.
What would keep the literates from enslaving the illiterates?
If you had an english literacy test along with an American History and civics test how many yeshiva graduates could pass?
Children become adults pretty quickly. Green card holders who stay green card holders sometimes are treated a bit like slaves.
You got a better chance of the Board of ED paying the tuition for normal private school students via a voucher plan than your Literacy & History tests in order to vote. As it is you only get 50% -60% of the eligible voters actually voting when all it takes is a minute to fill out a form to vote . Who is going to spend the time to take these tests just to vote.
RebYidd & Joseph
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery so no one can enslave anyone else. The poor in away are enslaved in the welfare system the can’t earn much more then they already earn otherwise they lose benefits.
This ensures they never get out of poverty. Likewise people who lack reading comprehension usually get scammed which is another reason they are poor.
There has already been a constitutional amendment overturning a previous one.
lol
Joseph
So everyone registered now, doesn’t have to take the test.
How is the test administered, right now all you need to do is fill out a form and mail it in, or you can do it at the DMV. Are you going to have to go to a testing site? How long will it take?
Who is going to grade the tests?
You can’t even get a valid ID requirement law for voting passed in Congress and you want literacy laws. Even if you got the law you can never verify the person is actually taking the test as many people have others fill out forms especially tax forms. So whats to prevent someone from taking the test for you, as many do for the college boards.
What about those with learning disabilities, who can’t pass the test? What about people who are blind?
We have great experience with such tests. They are typically applied selectively to exclude those whom what dislikes. If there were such tests today, you can bet they would be manipulated to exclude Orthodox Jews (many of whom engage in politically incorrect behavior).
Above average indicates discrimination against another group which is just as bad.
Joseph
I don’t think it will work. Have you ever been to the DMV. This will probably be similar. You can kill half a day waiting to get a learner’s permit. Who is going to spend this amount of time for the right to vote. All you are going to do is discourage people from voting.
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