Is it true that African-amercians might not be able to vote in 2007? There's a rumor going around about that..
958433
only people who pay income tax should be allowed to vote\nthat might influence the answer to your question
924577
Yes!  The voting machines can be fixed.  There was a show on HBO I think last Tues. or Wed. called Hacking Democracy.  It showed how a hacker could alter the vote totals in the memory cards that counted all the votes.  It also showed another arrogant company (Dieboldt), proclaiming it couldn't be done after it was shown to be possible.  There was also a voting machine showing 16,000 negative votes for Al Gore in the last election... and yes it was in Florida.  Dieboldt actually left the program on an open ftp site.  Go to HBO.com, there must be a link.  Old news to some extent, but pretty scary nonetheless.\n\n\n\nOkay- to the 2 thumbs down with blinders on.  Do the research and tell me I didn't see the show.  It's attitudes like that which divide us.
747864
The Amish have the right to register and vote if they choose, as they are American's.....but....I believe that their culture prevents them from voting.
984667
Well, in the south back in the late 1800's and early 1900's, they used to have intelligence tests and a poll tax that would keep most blacks away.  You could also set up polling places too far away from where they live, or put too few machines in making the wait too long.
858816
I heard about that - it's pathetic that people in a demotcratic society have to be bribed to vote.\n\nFP
199650
It ensures you don't try to vote more than once. There are still holes in the system, but hopefully they worked out. I don't think it is right for dead people in Chicago to get a vote.
972793
They know the vote isn't valid, since they've been disenfranchising the votes.  The ironic thing is that they actually think challenging the validity of the vote will HELP their count!
776202
I don't think so.  If people don't want to vote, why make them?  Will it mean anything if they just pick random people because they don't want to be there?
261413
they can vote unless they have been convicted of a felony, and then they have no rights until they go through the process of having their civil rights restored which can take years to do sometimes.  However, if they are in jail or prison they would not be able to physically go out and cast a ballot
559752
No, not in 2006...maybe in 2007
792855
That would mean they would know how to work a voting machine.\n\nThis keeps being proven that they can't
941888
This is a very timely article describing the efforts to protect our rights to vote using force and legal means if necessary.\n\nThis makes a few connections for me:\n\nThe election of a democratic government in Iraq:\nhttp://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/01/30/iraq.main/\n\nThe efforts and challenges of civil rights and elections:\nhttp://www.civilrights.org/issues/voting/details.cfm?id=34487\n\n\nThe elections during the civil rights movement in the United States:\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Summer\n\nThere are so many examples of the struggle for democracy around the world and in our own country.  It seems to be a never-ending struggle.\n\nj
178565
A French Diplomat said in the late 1700's that the Democracy would last only as long as it took for the masses to realize that they could vote themselves money out of the public trough.\n\nThat's happening now.  Ineligible people are on welfare and unemployment, illegals are clogging our services, and "progressive" politicians are voting more and more benefits.
704315
Yes, because part of the "choice" in a democracy is not to vote for anyone at all. (Although a "none of the above" option on a ballot would suffice for that.)  The problem is that Americans don't believe that they have a duty to vote.
115171
I don't think that this is necessarily an African problem.  I think that in order to successfully cultivate a democracy that the people have to have a deep inner desire for that democracy.  They have to want it to work.  In a lot of countries we're trying to do some nation-building, and in such we're trying to help other countries become democracies, but that only worked for us because we wanted it.  We can't force it on people as we're finding out all over the world.  If there are people against a democratic form of government (and if the people who are for it aren't for it strongly enough), then there are too many ways they can muck it up for everyone else.
131268
No I can't since the current law requires the president to be an American-born citizen. Now an American of African decent, no problem. I just watched Colin Powell on Leno last night with the hopes that he would soften a little on the idea of running for President. He would be a good one.
199104
Yes, I astonished to hear about this as well. I found an excellent resource with more information about this.\nhttp://college.hmco.com/history/readerscomp/naind/html/na_041800_voting.htm\n\nFor all the hue and cry about Civil rights, the rightful people are not getting their due. It's really sad to hear this.