Cumpulsory voting in Americas

Quote: Nareed

Yes, that's unconstitutional.

US constitution. I think in Switzerland the citizenry is the militia, and they are required to keep a functioning weapon at home.

Quote: Nareed

Yes, that's unconstitutional.

Carrying a gun may be mandated in some cases where a specific job requires it, like police or in the military. Forcing ordinary citizens to carry or even to own a gun is not a power of the government.

So, you mean as a condition of employment?

Would forcing someone to vote as a condition of employment be constitutional, then?

How about forcing someone to join a religion as a condition of employment, such as if you wanted to be a secretary in an office of the Catholic Church?

The real point is that apparently it is legal to mandate that a citizen exercise one of his constitutional rights, in this case mandated by his employer, without requiring a constitutional amendment.

You also have a right to a trial by jury, and can be required to serve on a jury.

You have a right to vote, can you be required to serve as an election staff worker?

Maybe if enough people in a state don't vote, the federal government will withhold their highway funds.

I'm going to leave that up, but I'm starting to travel pretty far afield. I don't like hypothetical arguments and I'm making them.

I don't think there is ever going to be any real attempt to force voting, but if they did, whatever the process, shy of a constitutional amendment that somehow passed I'm sure it would end up in the Supreme Court.

Quote: Dalex64

So, you mean as a condition of employment?

In some cases. A cop would have a hard time without a weapon. A soldier certainly would.

Quote:

Would forcing someone to vote as a condition of employment be constitutional, then?

How about forcing someone to join a religion as a condition of employment, such as if you wanted to be a secretary in an office of the Catholic Church?

This is a very complicated question, as there are non-discrimination laws for hiring. One protected class is religion.

Quote:

The real point is that apparently it is legal to mandate that a citizen exercise one of his constitutional rights, in this case mandated by his employer, without requiring a constitutional amendment.

In the case of guns and police, soldiers and even some types of civilian guards, it's not possible to do the job without a gun. I cannot conceive a job where voting is necessary in order to carry it out. And even police and soldiers are not required to carry guns while off the clock, nor are they required to own a gun. It's not the same thing at all.

Kennesaw, Georgia has mandatory gun ownership.

Quote: Dalex64

Kennesaw, Georgia has mandatory gun ownership.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2007/04/18/us-usa-crime-shooting-town-idUSN1719257620070418

Quote: Southern U.S. town proud of its mandatory gun law

The town north of Atlanta had little prominence until it passed a gun ordinance in 1982 that required all heads of a household to own a firearm and ammunition.

Kennesaw's law was a response to Morton Grove, Illinois, which had passed a gun ban earlier that year as a step to reduce crime.

But it also was an affirmation of what gun advocates say is a blanket U.S. constitutional right, under the Second Amendment, for citizens to keep and bear arms. Gun opponents challenge that right and say the language in the Constitution is open to interpretation.

So basically some people say it is right, but can't be made mandatory. But it hasn't been tried in court.

Rights? Sometimes its just profitable. Such as that restaurant where all the waitresses tote holstered six guns. They still get called honey alot but they don't get pawed by truck drivers quite as often.... something about whether that is dried paint or dried blood on the floor from the last truck driver who tried to paw a waitress in that place.

Its probably just a gimmick like those sleepy waitresses in a Chicago restaurant that serves only breakfast cereal. Its just that when it comes to guns, its more effective.

Quote: Pacomartin

So basically some people say it is right.

It IS a right, unlike driving which is not.
That's why we always hear the term
'voting rights' thrown around at election
time. We have the right to vote if we
choose to. We have the privilege of driving
if we qualify.