Okay, New Mexico, That’s Fine and Good, But Will You Welcome Refugees From Other States?
New Mexico is trying to move school board elections to be one the same day as other elections in an effort to increase turnout.
New Mexico’s wily state legislators have suggested some changes in the law. The strike through is what they want to take out and the underline is what they want to put in.
“Every citizen of the United States who is over the age of twenty-one years and has resided in New Mexico twelve months, in the county ninety days, and in the precinct in which
hethe person offers to vote thirty days, next preceding the election, except idiots, insane persons and person convicted of a felonious or infamous crime unless restored to political rights, shall be qualified to vote at all elections for public officers. The legislature may enact laws providing for absentee voting by qualified electors. All school elections shall be held at different times fromotherpartisan elections.”
Now, as people have pointed out, the legal age to vote in 18, not 21.
Secondly, they go to all the trouble to change “he” to “the person” so as not offend hooter toters.
But, for reasons known only to God, they leave in that idiots cannot vote.
Let us pray that this trend continues because then this country will never elect another Republican.
Thanks to David B for the heads up.
I understand the being able to check records for people court-recognized as insane or criminal…but how does one determine if someone is an idiot so that you can deny them voting rights. I bet if you ask any Republican, the “idiots” are self-proclaimed liberals, socialists, communists, or democrats.
Just because we don’t agree and think their logic is faulty is not a reason to ban them from voting. Honestly, this seems skewed against young people and people that can be labeled as “unacceptable.” I think it is more voter suppression effort. And yes, it is very poorly done.
1Why don’t they also make a law that “idiots” can not run for election? That would eliminate a bunch of idiots.
2People who are only 18 now will become 21 in only three years…and will remember that they weren’t allowed to vote at 18. Those three years will not turn them from liberals to conservatives (or vice versa.)
Also, if they think school elections aren’t partisan…they don’t live in a town with a divided opinion about how to run the schools. I can’t believe that. I think they don’t know what “partisan” means.
Most states debar “convicted felons” from voting, but also routinely restore the right to vote after a certain period. We had a convicted murderer on city council here at one time, but he’d had his rights restored after he came out of prison. (He shot his wife’s lover on Main Street in broad daylight.)
3As a former resident of New Mexico for many long years, school boards are PARTISAN – you would be amazed~
4According to some now-antiquated categorizations of mental retardation:
70 >= IQ >= 51 is a “moron”
50 >= IQ >= 26 is an “imbecile” and
25 >= IQ >=0 is an “idiot”
So, presumably, NM has decided that anyone registering 25 and under on the old Stanford Binet is not voter material.
Modern usage has dismissed these categories as pejorative, and the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-V, due out this May, conveniently classes these under the heading “Conservative” with gradations of “Republican” “FOX viewer” and “Tea Party member.”
Any word on whether NM has similar restrictions against gun ownership?
5Interesting.
6Moving to New Mexico results in an automatic one year voter disenfranchisement?
Residency requirement for divorce is 6 months.
Purchase of a rifle, shotgun or handgun has no state permit, residence, licensing or registration requirement.
There does not appear to be a minimum residency requirement for a concealed carry permit.
As I read this, if you’re over 18 but under 21, you can vote whether or not you’re an idiot. Correct me if I’m wrong.
7I worked as a registered lobbyist at the New Mexico Lege for 25 years and saw some pretty stupid stuff introduced, but this one takes the cake. Due to some pretty obvious errors, it was certainly written, for whomever introduced it, by some private group, as 90%+ of all bills introduced are written by the non-partisan, very educated group of lawyers who form the state’s Legislative Council. That’s not to say that everything they produce is necessarily good (some pretty stupid bills come out of there due to the fact that they have to follow the individual legislators’ whims), but at least there weren’t ignorant ones like this one…obviously written by an IDIOT!
8School boards are the ones who decide whether or not the schools teach real science or religion instead. Oh yeah, they’re partisan and they matter!
And I wish idiots couldn’t vote.
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