What is Your Political Orientation?

[Florestan]

There is no measurable quizz for this question. The idea is to let us know what you identify yourself as being.

Myself, I am politically center-right (constitutional monarchist), economically center-left (social-democrat), socially right (conservative), culturally centrist (anything goes, not anything is to my liking). Overall, centrist, I'd say, maybe center-right by a slight margin.

How 'bout you?

[Karl Henning]

I'll call myself center-left. when I first registered to vote, I registered as a Democrat; I've since changed my registration to Unaffiliated.

[Florestan]

Are you required to register as "something" în order to be able to vote în the USA? I mean, if you are unregistered you can't vote?

[Todd]

Are you required to register as "something" în order to be able to vote în the USA? I mean, if you are unregistered you can't vote?

One must register to vote.  Registration takes multiple forms.  All registered voters can vote in general elections.  Different states have different rules regarding voter participation in primaries.  There are closed and open primary states. 

[Todd]

This has been covered multiple times before, at least twice (if memory serves) using a political matrix model, which does come with a quiz: https://uselectionatlas.org/TOOLS/POLMTX/ 

[BasilValentine]

Are you required to register as "something" în order to be able to vote în the USA? I mean, if you are unregistered you can't vote?

One can vote in general elections without belonging to a party. There is, however, a kind of preliminary voting round called the primaries, where the parties choose the candidates who will represent the party in the general election. In most US states one can only vote for primary candidates in the party to which one belongs. 

[Florestan]

One must register to vote.

The only thing a Romanian citizen must prove în order to vote is that they are at least 18 yo Romanian citizens, and they do that by way of their ID card.

[Florestan]

This has been covered multiple times before, at least twice (if memory serves) using a political matrix model, which does come with a quiz: https://uselectionatlas.org/TOOLS/POLMTX/ 

I emphatically stated that this is about self-identification.

[Todd]

The only thing a Romanian citizen must prove în order to vote is that they are at least 18 yo Romanian citizens, and they do that by way of their ID card.

Such a system would never work in the US.  For instance, many Democrats vociferously oppose ID requirements, arguing that it is a form of voter suppression.

I emphatically stated that this is about self-identification.

That's fine, but self-identification relies on different definitions of what "left" and "right" even mean.

[Florestan]

In most US states one can only vote for primary candidates in the party to which one belongs. 

Isn't this the surest way to the factionalism that the FF supposedly abhorred?

[Florestan]

many Democrats vociferously oppose ID requirements, arguing that it is a form of voter suppression.

Many Democrats are lunatic.

self-identification relies on different definitions of what "left" and "right" even mean.

Yes, and it makes all the more interesting.

[Todd]

Many Democrats are lunatic.

I can neither confirm nor deny this assertion.

If you would like a more thorough explanation, the ACLU has one: OPPOSE VOTER ID LEGISLATION - FACT SHEET

[Florestan]

I can neither confirm nor deny this assertion.

If you would like a more thorough explanation, the ACLU has one: OPPOSE VOTER ID LEGISLATION - FACT SHEET

I presume only USA citizens may vote în a USA election. How, then, are they supposed to be identified as such, if not by an USA ID card?

No, really, if I went to a Romanian election station and told them I had no money, or no time, to get, or renew, my ID card, they would laugh me out and if I still insisted
to vote, they would call the police.

And rightly so.

[Spotted Horses]

The only thing a Romanian citizen must prove în order to vote is that they are at least 18 yo Romanian citizens, and they do that by way of their ID card.

In the U.S. there is no national ID card. To register to vote you typically need proof of identity, citizenship and residency in the location where you intend to vote. This may involve a state drivers license or ID, social security card, birth certificate, passport, home lease or deed, utility bill, etc. then you can wonder what documentation is required to get a driver's license. In Texas you can use a gun permit.

[Florestan]

In the U.S. there is no national ID card.

.

Which is sheer lunacy.

[Karl Henning]

Are you required to register as "something" în order to be able to vote în the USA? I mean, if you are unregistered you can't vote?

One needs to register to vote in one's state of residence. In Massachusetts, QED, one need not register with either major party to vote in a general election. As to primaries, the rule varies from state to state, but in Mass. since I am Unaffiliated, I cannot vote in a primary election.

[Karl Henning]

.

Which is sheer lunacy.

It's shy of lunacy, one hopes. Probably the closest thing is a Real ID. It isn't very close because (a) there is no Federal requirement that one have a Real ID and (b) it is issued by the state, not the Federal govt.

[Todd]

I presume only USA citizens may vote în a USA election.

For now.  Mostly.  Non-citizens can vote in some local elections.  Some Democrats are pushing to expand non-citizen voting. 

Which is sheer lunacy.

First, there will never be a national ID similar to a state driver's license.  There is a Social Security Card, but that is not a photo ID.  There should never be national ID similar to a state driver's license.  Second, the Constitution gives power to set election rules to states, not the federal government. That is one practical reason why a national ID is not needed.  It is definitely not desirable.

[Florestan]

There should never be national ID

Then there should never be any USA citizenship requiremenr for anything,  because that which  should never be should simply not exist.

[SimonNZ]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_identity_card_policies_by_country