Liveaboard voting rights threatened in Clay County FL

[a64pilot]

I seriously doubt that many if any people who use St Brendan’s Isle vote on local elections.
Voting is a very sensitive thing in the US, you can be homeless and use under the bridge as your residence for voting, that has been tested long ago, but you can’t use that address for mail or pretty much anything else except to vote.
However you have to have a home in the US today, the government requires it, try to open a bank account and see what happens. Due to 911 as being the reason given, theory of terrorists moving money around, you have to have a verified physical address. We had a hard time with USAA when opening up my Wife’s account, and they were saying they would cancel my membership that has been there since 1987 too. They wanted rent receipts, power bills, tax records to show where we lived, none of which we could supply.
When you register with St Brendan’s Isle you fill out a statement of domicile form which states your vessel with your USCG registration number is your Legal domicile, this form is notarized and on file in the court house in Clay County. USAA wouldn’t accept that form either.
We were close by so we drove to Green Cove Springs and registered to vote, USAA accepted the voter registration cards.
So you never know what you may need, until you need it.

I am a resident of nowhere, even briefly considered having my home port be Earth but haven’t bothered.
However I have to have a bank account

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by john61ct

I agree there should be such a mechanism, in cases where these services numbers are high vs local population.

But there should be pretty stringent test, absentee voters in the 99.9999% of districts where this is not the case should remain empowered to vote locally even if they've been living overseas for decades..

At the national level, there is a mechanism for these people to vote.

As far as citizens who have cut ties and haven't lived in a community for decades voting in local elections...no they shouldn't be voting in local elections. They are not part of the local community.

Be careful not to equate "absentee" with "not a resident". The vast majority of absentee voters easily pass the resident test. Snowbirds typically retain their house and spend several months per year living in the community. Others happen to be out of town for work or vacation at the time of election but otherwise live and work in the community. If you read the article, there was no intent to cut off these people from their right to vote in local elections.

The ones they are going after have no connection to the community other than a mail forwarding service.

[a64pilot]

By the way, it’s incredibly easy to determine how many if any St Brendan’s Isle customers vote.
See every one of us live at 1 Clay Street. That is how they know not to send us jury duty summons and I’m sure other things.

[Woodland Hills]

Originally Posted by Larry Florida

Can't see cruisers caring much about voting in a community they are only connected to a mailbox.

It depends on the voter: we had hoped to help elect the first Hispanic Muslim lesbian mayor of Green Cove Springs!

[GrowleyMonster]

This is similar to barring the homeless from voting. Just sayin. You can't get any more unconstitutional than that.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by GrowleyMonster

This is similar to barring the homeless from voting. Just sayin. You can't get any more unconstitutional than that.

I disagree.
I see their point, in my opinion if you don’t live in a place, you shouldn’t vote in their local elections.
A Homeless person residing in Kansas ought not vote for the Los Angles local elections for example.
I don’t have a clue where I will end up, likely will be an expat somewhere unless the rules change, but if I’m the US, Clay County isn’t a bad place to be.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by GrowleyMonster

This is similar to barring the homeless from voting. Just sayin. You can't get any more unconstitutional than that.

Nope, they aren't trying to prohibit people who actually live in the community from voting. There is a separate process to accommodate citizens who do not reside at a US address but it doesn't include local elections as you don't have a local residence.

If you live in the dumpster behind the local green springs taco bell, you are legitimately a resident and should get a vote in local elections.

If you've never been to green springs in your life, kind of hard to claim you should have a say in who sits on the local board.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

By the way, it’s incredibly easy to determine how many if any St Brendan’s Isle customers vote.
See every one of us live at 1 Clay Street. That is how they know not to send us jury duty summons and I’m sure other things.

This is likely what got the authorities attention in the first place.

Of course, without looking at the individual, you don't know if they actually live locally or not. You also can't tell if their voting patterns are consistent with the people who actually reside in the town.

[SUNCAT365]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

At the national level, there is a mechanism for these people to vote.

As far as citizens who have cut ties and haven't lived in a community for decades voting in local elections...no they shouldn't be voting in local elections. They are not part of the local community.

Be careful not to equate "absentee" with "not a resident". The vast majority of absentee voters easily pass the resident test. Snowbirds typically retain their house and spend several months per year living in the community. Others happen to be out of town for work or vacation at the time of election but otherwise live and work in the community. If you read the article, there was no intent to cut off these people from their right to vote in local elections.

The ones they are going after have no connection to the community other than a mail forwarding service.

What is the mechanism at the national level ? Thanks

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by SUNCAT365

What is the mechanism at the national level ? Thanks

See the link in one of my earlier posts.

[SUNCAT365]

Originally Posted by jibstay

https://www.passagemaker.com/trawler...atened-florida

Good old fashioned southern voter suppression. Taking place in one of the most gerrymandered districts in the USA. Responsible citizens vote in spite of the fact that they live a transient life. Don't be surprised if you learn that you've been disenfranchised when you show up to vote. No soon or later.

[SUNCAT365]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

See the link in one of my earlier posts.

Thank you for the link. Alas, it is for people who reside outside the country.

[hpeer]

FWIW here in is a copy of the letter I sent the the suggested interested parties. It kind of lays out my thoughts.

I use St Brendan’s Isle mail forwarding service. As a live aboard cruiser who spends 10 months a year overseas I find this an extremely valuable service. Please not I am a resident of Pennsylvania and.NOT registered to vote in Florida. So the legal controversy does not affect me.

If St Brendans Isle is driven out of business then I will take my business to a different state, probably Texas, which is more friendly. I will not us any Florida alternative for fear they may also be driven out of business and changing all forwarding addresses is not something I wish to do.

I have spent time in Green Cove Springs and have used the services of the local marina for maintenance, repairs, and storage in no small part because of the proximity to St Brendan’s Isle.

I would like to add I find the ruling curious. We live in a culture where homeless folks are encouraged to vote and given an address. If this interpretation were to go into effect everywhere, be universally accepted, the a whole class of folks would be disenfranchised from the voting process. I understand the localities confer about having no apparent look cal interest vote. I get that, it is an uncomfortable feeling. But it is not unique to this jurisdiction except perhaps in quantity. It also brings up the definitional question of how much connection is enough? To provide one example service man may be absent from his home jurisdiction for decades, with no more ties than a cruiser, but his right is retained. SBI serves a necessary function for many occupations which require long deployments civil or governmental. It really starts to ask what constitutes being a citizen. Which I though was regulated at the Federal level. Frankly it’s a fascinating and complicated question. I hope you find a way to resolve it that does not punish St Brendan’s Isle or the local business community.
Thank you

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by hpeer

FWIW here in is a copy of the letter I sent the the suggested interested parties. It kind of lays out my thoughts.

If you are registered to vote in PA...you aren't impacted by the action to remove non-residents from the local voter roles. They aren't prohibiting mail forwarding services.

[hpeer]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

If you are registered to vote in PA...you aren't impacted by the action to remove non-residents from the local voter roles. They aren't prohibiting mail forwarding services.

I am impacted if SBI goes out of business, which was the point of the origional article.