Why S. Royal, irrespectively of politics | 37 comments (37 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

I am as surprised as DoDo.

If you do not have a national system of identification I understand that you need a register for voting (like in USA). But if you have national ID cards, then you can prove your identity so why a seperate registration?

Sweden's finest (and perhaps only) collaborative, leftist e-newspaper Synapze.se

by A swedish kind of death on Thu Nov 30th, 2006 at 05:42:32 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Register? (none / 0)

In Spain the electoral census is drawn automatically, and though you do get a voter registration card mailed to you (just to confirm your registration) you do not need it (nor is it valid) in order to vote, you just need your ID card, passport or driver's licence [the only government-issued ID, and so the only ones accepted]

Those whom the Gods wish to destroy They first make mad. -- Euripides

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Nov 30th, 2006 at 06:12:53 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Register? (4.00 / 2)

That pretty much describes the swedish system to.

The voting registration card tells you which elections you can vote in and were your polling station is.

The voter registration card I think is also used (and needed) if you vote in advance, which you can do for the two weeks preceding the election at postal offices, libraries and such. You then also need an ID card, passport or driver's licence (ID cards are btw issued by banks in Sweden but are as valid as government-issued passports or driver's licence).

Maybe it is to make sure your vote is forwarded to the right polling station. If you both vote in advance and on the election day I think the later vote takes precedence.

If you lack a valid ID you can vote on the election day if you bring someone can ID themselves and who testifies that you are who you say you are.

Sweden's finest (and perhaps only) collaborative, leftist e-newspaper Synapze.se

by A swedish kind of death on Fri Dec 1st, 2006 at 08:12:47 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Register? (none / 1)

In France you don't need the voter card for voting, ID will suffice. But you must be on the registered voters roll; those liste are built by the municipalities (ID cards are issued by the prefecture) and you have to proove that you've been living in the municipality for some length of time. Checks are then made that nobody
is on two different rolls. How is voting in two places prevented without specific voting rolls? also not that the national ID card is not all that compulsory ; passport and driving licenses are also ID proofs, and may not show the same adresses.

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères

by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Thu Nov 30th, 2006 at 11:51:41 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Register? (none / 1)

Don't you have to register locally anyway for tax purposes?

BTW, welcome back to ET!

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Thu Nov 30th, 2006 at 03:44:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Register? (4.00 / 3)

After some troubles with lists about six decades ago, France has decided to keeps its various lists separate, and is wary about attempts to mesh them.

Voter rolls are only used for jury and poll purposes, and are set up by the municipalities ; Tax rolls don't care about nationality, and are set up by the State. Also means that you can vote even though you are cheating the tax man, also,tax rolls probably don't know everybody ; married couples count as one for the tax administration, etc... Finally, some people might chose to vote in their village in the province but pay tax in Paris... (e.g. All politicians vote in their fief in some small provincial village, but live in Paris most of the time)

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères

by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Fri Dec 1st, 2006 at 06:30:03 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Register? (none / 0)

ome people might chose to vote in their village in the province but pay tax in Paris

I think that is a bad thing.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Fri Dec 1st, 2006 at 06:32:24 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Register? (4.00 / 3)

Arguably. Don't forget though that many people come to Paris for a few years, to kickstart their careers or because they are ordered to by the government (most state employees start their career in the suburb of Paris before fleeing back home). They often remin interested in the place they'll spend their life rather than their temporary home.

In reply to another comment of yours furthjer down, in France local authorities can't decide to raise new taxes ; they only decide the rate of state-defined taxes. All taxes are collected by the Direction générale des impôts, and then redistributed to local authorities.

Ho, and I never left, spent much time lurking. I just don't comment often :)

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères

by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Fri Dec 1st, 2006 at 10:02:24 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Register? (none / 0)

Regarding Paris-hometown hoppers, I am not against keeping up connections to the hometown -- to the contrary, I think it would be better for them if they'd get not only people's vote but taxes too.

Regarding the tax collecting/distributing system, then it seems it is not much different from what we have here. Here, one of the two main tax sources of local authorities is a fixed percentage of the income tax of its registered inhabitants (which, as in France, the tax authority collects but then redistributes to local authorities according to residence registration data).

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Fri Dec 1st, 2006 at 10:49:49 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Register? (none / 0)

So you're ok with people keeping their voting rights in their hometown within a country, but think expatriates shouldn't have voting rights in their home country?

Those whom the Gods wish to destroy They first make mad. -- Euripides

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Dec 1st, 2006 at 10:54:02 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Register? (none / 0)

My standard is exactly the same: where do you keep registered residence.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Fri Dec 1st, 2006 at 11:04:47 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Register? (none / 1)

As to taxes, it should be noted that those taxes that are redirected to the municipalities, départements and région are inherently territorial ; whereas income tax goes directly and wholly to the State, it is the Taxe Foncière (tax on private property of land and buildings) and Taxe d'Habitation (tax on on occupying an habitation ; it is payed for secondary houses too). So that if effect the hometown does keep the taxes too.

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères

by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Sun Dec 3rd, 2006 at 06:38:32 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Why S. Royal, irrespectively of politics | 37 comments (37 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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