Re: [Marxism] Duverger's Law and proportional representation

["Jurriaan Bendien" <andromeda246@xxxxxxxxx>]

The voting age population within the US in 2004 is about 221.3 million, but
3.2 million felons (prisoners, or on probation or parole) cannot vote.
Another 3.3 million American citizens overseas are eligible to vote. The
total number of eligible voters is now said to be about 203.8 million. This
suggests there are in 2004 some 20.8 million people within the US, of voting
age, who are not eligible to vote, mainly because they are either not US
citizens (e.g. immigrants), or because they are felons.

In 2000, the voting age population within the US was 210.7 million, of which
16.2 million non-citizens, and 3 million felons. Some 2.9 million American
citizens overseas were eligible to vote. The total number of eligible voters
was 194.3 million. Thus there were in 2000 some 19.3 million of voting age,
who could not vote, mainly because they are either not US citizens, or
because they are felons. Of those who registered to vote, two-thirds
actually voted, and only half of the voting age population voted. Between
49% and 54% of the eligible voters are said to have voted. About  180,000
votes cast in Florida are said to have been treated as invalid (I cannot
find national figures on the total number of invalid votes).

About 50.4 million voters voted for Bush, so leaving aside the whole
question of whether the election itself was correct and fairly conducted,
the mandate of the president at best consisted of only a quarter of all
those eligible to vote.

Jurriaan



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