What the heck is up with this?

[classicman]

Thirded. I believe these alternatives spread the money around more evenly as well reducing outside influence - maybe not?!

[TheMercenary]

At least he will be in good company among the rest of the criminals ithat make up our Congress.

[spudcon]

There are several states that allow the opposing party to vote in primaries. There were several instances where the Dems were importing voters from all over to tip Republican primaries toward weak candidates. If memory serves me, New England was one area that happened in the past. Business as usual.

Originally Posted by spudcon

There are several states that allow the opposing party to vote in primaries. There were several instances where the Dems were importing voters from all over to tip Republican primaries toward weak candidates. If memory serves me, New England was one area that happened in the past. Business as usual.

Republicans crossed over in TX (hell, Limbaugh encouraged it), OH and other states in fairly significant numbers during the last presidential primary.

I'm not aware of what you suggest happened in New England. Im not aware of any New England state with an open primary.

[classicman]

Its not the "right thing" to do for anyone.

[classicman]

PORT CHESTER, N.Y. – Arthur Furano voted early — five days before Election Day. And he voted often, flipping the lever six times for his favorite candidate.

Furano cast multiple votes on the instructions of a federal judge and the U.S. Department of Justice as part of a new election system crafted to help boost Hispanic representation.

Voters in Port Chester, 25 miles northeast of New York City, are electing village trustees for the first time since the federal government alleged in 2006 that the existing election system was unfair. The election ends Tuesday and results are expected late Tuesday night.

Although the village of about 30,000 residents is nearly half Hispanic, no Latino had ever been elected to any of the six trustee seats, which until now were chosen in a conventional at-large election. Most voters were white, and white candidates always won.

Link
Whaaaaaaaaaaat?????? So because most of them CHOSE not to vote we have to change the system?

Originally Posted by classicman

Link
Whaaaaaaaaaaat?????? So because most of them CHOSE not to vote we have to change the system?

Where did it say that most of "them" CHOSE not to vote?

Cumulative voting has been used as a remedy for Voting Rights Act violations in the past.

When a city/town that is majority white but may have one or more districts (or high population neighborhoods) that are non-white majority AND elects all of its council members on an at-large basis (rather than by district), it puts minorities at a distinct disadvantage and those minority voters can (and often will) be underrepresented on the governing body.

The judge choose the option of cumulative voting over changing to voting by district, which is what the DoJ evidently proposed.

added:
Not that you are reading this (right!), but for others to see the issue from another perspective.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by classicman

Link
Whaaaaaaaaaaat?????? So because most of them CHOSE not to vote we have to change the system?

Why do you think the Dems want to make them all US citizens ASAP? They need to pad the elections. Remember nearly everything that happens or is said by the Dems between now and Nov is in an effort to stave off greater losses in the elections. Politics as usual.

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Why do you think the Dems want to make them all US citizens ASAP? They need to pad the elections. Remember nearly everything that happens or is said by the Dems between now and Nov is in an effort to stave off greater losses in the elections. Politics as usual.

This has nothing to do with illegal immigrants and making then citizens.

Using at-large elections to increase or maintain the influence of the White majority or conversely, decrease or discourage the representation of minorities in a community has been a long-standing violation of the Voting Rights Act under all administrations since it was enacted (well, except for Bush).

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Redux

This has nothing to do with illegal immigrants and making then citizens.

Bullshit.

[Lamplighter]

Where are all the conspiracy theorists hiding ...

Wasn't this the ideal "proof-of-principle" experiment for re-wiring the touch-screen voting machines with no paper trail ?

I'm not usually among the CT crowds, but it seems more credible than multitudes of Republicans agreeing ahead of time that they should cross their votes over to this particular candidate.

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Bullshit.

I didnt expect you to understand the Voting Rights Act and you didnt surprise me with your typical bullshit response.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Why do you think the Dems want to make them all US citizens ASAP?

They already are citizens, aren't they?
I find it odd that one group gets 6 votes each and the other only gets one. Unless I read it wrong and all the voters got 6 votes.

Originally Posted by classicman

They already are citizens, aren't they?
I find it odd that one group gets 6 votes each and the other only gets one. Unless I read it wrong and all the voters got 6 votes.

Of course you read it wrong...you rushed to judgment. Every citizen gets 6 votes and Merc's suggestion that it is to make them citizens ASAP is ludicrous.

But you're not reading this ...or my explanation of how it (at-large elections) is a fairly common Voting Rights Act issue and an issue of law despite Merc's attempt to make it a partisan political issue by somehow turning a Republican-appointed judge's settlement into a nefarious plot by Democrats.

added:
I think elections by district would have been better, with a far greater likelihood that an Hispanic would be elected to the town council, which is long over-due considering that the town is almost half Hispanic and the council has been all White for ever.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Your making the assumption the white councilmen don't vote what's best for the entire town and not just for whites.