“North Dakota is a rural state and its communities maintain close ties and networks. North Dakota’s system of voting, and lack of voter registration, is rooted in its rural character by providing small precincts. Establishing relatively small precincts is intended to ensure that election boards know the voters who come to the polls to vote on Election Day and can easily detect those who should not be voting in the precinct. This network of small precincts reduces the need for voter registration.”
Matt B
on 04 Nov 08Sounds pretty silly, restricting voting access to those voters whom the election boards is capable of visually recognizing.
I’m not sure what the positive in that system is?
Frank
on 04 Nov 08Well since we lack any kind of comprehensive plan to prevent voter fraud, being able to question the ones you don’t recognize seems like the next best solution.
TR
on 04 Nov 08@Matt B – i see your point, but it seems that your instinct is that we need more bureaucracy in order to get things done. Perhaps a system that requires less paperwork, and fewer managers is easier and more accurate. I am sure there are provisions for those who arent recognized to bring in some ID or whatnot. By the looks of the voting machines in my area, i would say that there are many other ways to create inaccuracies in the voting system than to vote out of your district.
Doug R
on 04 Nov 08Matt, you missed the part where if you are challenged, all you have to do is sign an affidavit swearing you are qualified to vote in that precinct. If you sign the affidavit, you are allowed to vote.
I grew up in ND, and lived both in a small town where everybody knows each other, as well as one of the “cities” (Grand Forks) when I went to college. I’m pretty sure you could show an out of state ID and vote anyway. Yet, remarkably, the system works, and nobody is really that concerned with voter fraud. It’s surprising what happens when you don’t treat people with suspicion by default.
Michael
on 04 Nov 08Human scale helps to keep North Dakota’s republic from decaying into democracy. It’s harder to keep the selfish democratic ideal in one’s mind if everyone at the polls is a neighbor.
Todd
on 04 Nov 08Consider this example – if you live in a small town where everyone knows you and your family, you wont be able to buy beer when you are 19, no matter how good your fake ID is.
In a larger system, it would be much easier to buy a beer with a good fake ID.
So, in this way, you can say there is no more accurate way than to create very small precincts.
Tim
on 04 Nov 08To be honest, I’m not sure how eligibility is verified in other places, but are you not forbidden to vote if you are a convicted felon?
It feels like this system wouldn’t detect that for example.
Dale
on 04 Nov 08A convicted felon may vote in North Dakota as long as he or she is not incarcerated.
Brooks Jordan
on 04 Nov 08Wow, I did not know that. I didn’t even think that was possible anymore, not to have voter registration.
Matt
on 04 Nov 08I just voted in Fargo, ND and it took all of 5 minutes. You still have to give them a valid ID so I think that alone would deter most people from trying to vote more than once. Also, I bet that ND gets a better voting turnout since people don’t have to register.
Nicole
on 04 Nov 08@Tim - You can bet the nosy, old ladies working the voter precinct down at city hall know everyone’s business, including felony record, current romantic interest, church affiliation (or non-affiliation - gasp!), and milk preference (1% or 2%?).
I won’t comment on whether not having a voter registration process is a “good” idea (not sure, really), but I laughed at this post because this really is how small towns work. Everyone knows everyone and way too much about them. :) As an example, where I grew up, it’s common to see rural road signs that have instructions on how to find each family farm/ranch (e.g. Smith Family – 1.5 mi N, 2 mi W). Ah, small towns.
Bob
on 05 Nov 08That’s how it works where I grew up. If we stop being confrontational with everyone, we might end up fixing stuff.
Jamie O'Keefe
on 05 Nov 08Nice idea. Not sure it will work in too many cities.
However, I am less concerned about voter fraud, not much evidence of it, than of the fact that about 40% of US citizens 18 and older didn’t vote in this election, and a higher percentage in local and non-prez federal elections.
IIRC, prior to 1890, there really weren’t voter registration rolls and even non-US citizens were able to vote. Ah the days of no taxation without representation. :-)
carlivar
on 05 Nov 08Can North Dakota take over the TSA please?
brandon
on 06 Nov 08It’s a beautiful thing, and has worked well for us. I’m surprised it hasn’t been mentioned yet, but the photo ID requirement is a fairly new law.
Sean McCambridge
on 06 Nov 08It’s about accountability, and I don’t see any here. The unfortunate truth about bureaucracy is that it’s necessary because people start to abuse their authority. I’m not saying there was any corruption here, but it sure looks like it’s ripe for the picking. Of course, we’re only talking about .000001 delegates in this state, lol.
Frank Hurt
on 06 Nov 08I have mixed feelings about the lack of voter registration in North Dakota, myself. That said, we have yet to hear of any scandals involving double-voting or ballot-stuffing.
You do have to present an ID and provide your street address when you vote. If you didn’t vote at the previous election, you also have to sign an affidavit if I’m not mistaken.
So in some ways, it’s like on-the-spot voter registration.
Interesting statistic: 64% of eligible voters cast a ballot in North Dakota for this election. From the stats I’ve read, that’s exactly in line with the national average. So the voter registration requirement (or lack thereof) apparently doesn’t affect that particular figure.
Ryan Cannon
on 07 Nov 08There’s a lot of stereotypes about good ‘ole small towns in the comments here, more than I’d expect from SVN’s audience. I’ve lived in Alma, MI (pop. 2000), Livonia, MI (pop. 200,000) and Los Angeles, CA (pop. 4,000,000) and there seemed to be a roughly similar amount of degeneracy per capita.
I find the American glorification of small town life bizarre and extremely unwarranted.
Ben
on 08 Nov 08There’s more to it than “small town”. There’s a central database of voters, mostly culled from DMV records but you can contact the auditor tp get added if you don’t have an ID or something. This allows for no registration while reducing votor fraud. You have to validate (slide your drivers license or provide ID and an affidavit) to vote.
SD in ND
on 10 Nov 08I currently live in ND. I was greeted by name at the precinct by the lady who lives 2 houses to the south of me, given a ballot from my 3rd Grade teacher (I’m 40), and escorted the machine that made sure I marked all my circles clearly by a former President of the local Women’s Club.
When I lived in Hibbing, MN I withnessed on 2 seperate occasions democratic operatives assisting nursing home patients to vote. I’m not sure these patients knew they were voting, but the helpful union thugs were helping them anyway.
Registration doesn’t prevent fraud. Firmly entrenched cronies in the political system sure makes fraud easier.
This discussion is closed.