The council member’s proposal would require all voters to take and provide proof of passing an American Government and Civics test in order to be eligible to vote during the election. This is a good proposal because it helps to ensure that only those who have shown they have the necessary knowledge and understanding of American history and government are allowed to vote (Li et al., 2018). The number of ghost voters is decreased by having evidence that one has passed the exam, which ensures that only test-passers are permitted to cast ballots. With enough preparation, it’s possible to pass the American Government and Civics test, and this can be done by familiarizing oneself with the questions and answers in the civic test. Being a person whose skills of reading, writing, and speaking are all perfect and having been equipped with sufficient knowledge and understanding of U.S. history and government, which is my civic duty, will help ensure that I pass the test and make me eligible to vote.
Imposing the need to have proof of passing the American Government and Civics test will have a number of impacts on the number of voters present during an election which will lead to a low turnout of voters in some regions. Consequently, this will greatly impact the older generation who can’t read or write since they won’t be able to undertake the test, and this will lead to them not participating in their democratic rights, especially for those who are citizens. Overall, having people undertaking the civic test generally will impact the voting process, but this will help ensure that only those who have qualified and have a complete understanding of their civic rights are allowed to vote.
Reference
Li, Q., Pomante, M. J., & Schraufnagel, S. (2018). Cost of voting in the American States. Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy, 17(3), 234–247. Web.