American Election Law Is So Strange

[queerbychoice]

In Ohio's 17th Congressional District, voters will be able to choose between a Republican, a Democrat and an independent -- former Rep. James Traficant, who was expelled in July and is serving an eight-year prison term for bribery and racketeering.

If Traficant wins re-election from his prison cell in Pennsylvania, he could be the first inmate congressman since Matthew Lyon of Vermont more than 200 years ago -- though the same lawmakers who tossed him out would have the power to refuse to seat him. Incidentally, Traficant could not vote for himself because of his felony convictions.

from CNN.com

I don't understand why convicted felons should be deprived of the right to vote in the first place, but the fact that they are allowed to hold political office while in prison even though they're not allowed to vote is even odder.

Everything else in the election looks rather unpleasant, at least in regard to the parts of the nation other than California, so I'm grasping for all the amusement I can find.

Comments

[voxsjournal.livejournal.com]

Traficant was always kind of loony, what with his "beam me up, Scotty" tagline and really bad hair. He lost, though, and the Democrat won.

[kshatri.livejournal.com]

That's really damned funny.

California elections are completely predictable, and that is a good thing. However, as for the rest of the country .. urgh. If republicans gain control of congress I will not be a happy camper.

357 days till I'm old enough to vote..

[cleanlikegod.livejournal.com]

"I don't understand why convicted felons should be deprived of the right to vote in the first place, but the fact that they are allowed to hold political office while in prison even though they're not allowed to vote is even odder."

That is really, very, incredibly strange.

Thank you for sharing.

It makes me shake my head in wonder, if not awe, at the stupidity of some laws/people.

Thanks again, for the smile.

[ex-infidel.livejournal.com]

wow. that's... um... interesting.

every day i learn something new about our country that makes me ashamed.

[princesswitch.livejournal.com]

Well, pregnant pigs are now constitutionally protected in Florida. It is now written into our state constitution that you can't put them in those awful gestation cages.