I hear all the time (especially when I'm in traffic school), that driving in this country is a PRIVELEGE and not a RIGHT (I guess hence the licensing exam, etc.).

What about voting? Is voting a RIGHT or a PRIVELEGE? I've heard both. But now I'm confused. Some people say that you should vote during elections because its a "privelege", then you also hear "exercise your 'right' to vote". Besides, isn't the right to vote one of the amendments to the constitution (its been a while since my last history or political science class)? Or are people just using these two terms loosely?

 

It's a Constitutional right for US citizens. As a US citizen, having the right to vote is a real privilege compared to folks in China and North Korea who don't have that right.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Sam
[B]It's a Constitutional right for US citizens.

 

It's a right, but you can lose that right by becoming a convicted felon.

 

Actually, strictly speaking, you don't have a right to vote for president. The states may appoint electors to the Electoral College in whatever fashion they desire. However, all of the states appoint electors based upon the vote in that state

 

Folks in China and Korea have the right to vote. Unfortunately, it's only a one-party state.

 

Actually (and perhaps a little OT) the original basis for the question is wrong and is crafted by people who want you to believe in "conferred rights" as the only rights you have. Actually, the Constitution and Bill of Rights speak to conferred powers as they apply to government. It is clear that the constitution doesn't say that you only have the rights granted by it. What it says is that you have these specific rights and any other rights not specifically limited by the government's conferred powers.

Bill of Rights, Article 9-10:

"Article IX.
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Article X.
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

Since the Constitution and Bill of Rights specifically paid homage to State's Rights, states have used Article 10 as the basis for restricting your right to drive (the "driving privelege")

So here's the point: Article IX.
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Voting for Congress, however, is a right specifically granted by
Article I., Section 1., Clause 1 of the Constitution:

"The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature."

Voting for the President is a custom. States (under Article 12) have the right to elect the President.

So is the right to vote a right? Sort of. If you HAD the right to vote for President, Al Gore would have been elected.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jschmidt
[B]

Actually (and perhaps a little OT) the original basis for the question is wrong and is crafted by people who want you to believe in "conferred rights" as the only rights you have. Actually, the Constitution and Bill of Rights speak to conferred powers as they apply to government. It is clear that the constitution doesn't say that you only have the rights granted by it. What it says is that you have these specific rights and any other rights not specifically limited by the government's conferred powers.

Bill of Rights, Article 9-10:

"Article IX.
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Article X.
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

Since the Constitution and Bill of Rights specifically paid homage to State's Rights, states have used Article 10 as the basis for restricting your right to drive (the "driving privelege")

So here's the point: Article IX.
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Voting for Congress, however, is a right specifically granted by

 

In English: You have the right to vote.

Case 1) You are not voting for the president, you are voting for Electors. However, even if 100% of the voters in the state choose Candidate "A", the electors COULD pick Candidate "B". Your vote technically means absolutely nothing in terms of voting for the president. I believe only once or perhaps twice in US history has an Elector gone against the popular vote of his state.

Case 2) For smaller scale elections (everything but the president I believe), you are directly voting for the person. There is nobody who can say "51% of the registered voters who voted picked "A", but "B" wins by virtue of an archaic rule written 230 years ago".