Independents and Third Party Members

Why does the American system need to know what party a person supports before you vote? If you are registered as a Dem and then vote for a Rep or third party does your vote still count? Why do you need to register to vote in the first place?

I'm only asking because our system is so different and if I was made to affiliate myself to a party before voting I would intensionally lie because it's none of the governments business who or who not I would endorse.

Do you have to register before every election or if you registered to vote in 2004 or 2006 would you be registered in this years election?

 

well, typically, you join a party because you WANT to be a part of that party. for some states, when it comes to primary elections, in order to vote at all you have to be a party member, which means if you're a DEM you vote for DEMS and the same for repubs. some states have open primaries where you can vote for either one and there is no restriction.

basically, it all goes back to how our electoral system makes no sense at all.

i re-registered as unaffiliated (which i can only assume is the same as/another word for independent) mainly because i'm sort of disappointed with the DEM party and i just don't want to be a part of it anymore.

but it's also sort of why i described it as being "ceremonial," as it only really means anything to me.

 

The Canadian system is so different. To decide the leader of any party you have to join that party then go to that party's convention to vote for the leader of the party.

When election time comes you get a card in the mail telling you what polling station you need to vote at. This comes to your mailing address at the time of the last election (fed, provincial or municiple) and if you moved than the person that lives there now brings that card to the polling station and shows id and proof of residence there (like a phonebill, tax bill etc.) and they add that person on to that poll and remove you from it. If you don't get a card; say your house has been built after the last election, or you have never voted before you find out what polling station your neighbourhood votes in and go there with id and proof of residence on election day and they add you to the list and then you vote.

It doesn't even matter if you have a criminal record or you are insane because even prisoners and people locked up in a mental institute have the right to vote (no taxation without representation, or discrimination is probably the reason for this). This has been backed by many studies here that convicts and insane people vote very similar to the general public.

The prime minister is just the leader of the party that wins the most seats in parliment. The prime minister isn't the dejure head of state though only defacto; the monarch is the dejure head and can still refuse to make a bill into law (by telling the gov. general not to sign it) after the parliment and senate pass it, but I've never seen it happen.

Our system probably sounds as stange to you as yours seems to me.

Oh, our elections are at random times (except for municipal) for various reasons (minority or majority governments) and fed and provincial and municipal are never at the same time. Fed and provincial governments might only last a few months or last up to 5 years at the most. If the fed or provincial calls an election, or gets outvoted by the other parties on some bills, then it is usually only about a month and half later to election day. No dragging out who will be leader for almost a year like yours.