who decides

  To continue with yesterday's thoughts on age and/or term limits. In my discussion with myself which the majority of these blogs are I had to ask myself, how old is too old to vote? Consider this. You are old and infirm, perhaps in an assisted living facility. It's time to vote and you have to use that mail in ballot. Just who is filling that out? Is there any law that says you can't simply have your caregiver do that, or the janitor. Are you too old to vote when placed in a home? Are those under care for mental illness disqualified from voting? Receiving mental health services does not disqualify a person from voting just like any other disability. Some states do deny the vote to those declared mentally incompetent in a court of law. Age in and of itself is not a disqualifying factor. Should it be? If so, just what age would that be? According to Statistica in 2022, 77.9% of those aged 65-74 were registered to vote, the highest share of any group. Only 49.1% of 18-24 were registered in the same year. 76.6% of those 74 and over were registered as well. Are we to eliminate that voting block altogether? 

  The question of age alone being the disqualifier isn't fair, reasonable, or feasible no matter how you look at that. The discussion has to center on mental competence. What is the test for that? Cognitive testing is the answer. This is what WEB md says about that: "Cognition can be generally defined as the state or processes of being able to perceive and judge reality effectively. Cognitive tests are designed to determine whether you may have any issues with cognition, also known as cognitive impairment. These tests don't diagnose cognitive problems. Instead, they help your provider determine if you need to take more tests or if there are any cognitive issues you need to address." So, those tests don't decide if you are competent or not. They may indicate you should have further testing. It is based on your ability to perceive and judge reality. That's what the experts say. I'd say that reality, and the perception of that reality is in question today! We could start with this notion that there are multiple genders! The reality is there are two although there appears to be many, including mental health experts, that believe otherwise. Would my answer disqualify me from voting? It would if that expert reported me as incompetent! So, how many tests do you have to pass and what exactly is being tested? 

  There are three tests generally used. The longest one takes about fifteen minutes. The mini-mental state exam takes about ten minutes. You have to say the date, count backwards and identify objects in the room. The experts say, this is the best test to identify more serious issues. Yeah, that's rough one to get through, isn't it? Well, I guess that would depend upon what objects are in the room along with your perception of reality. But say you fail that test it indicates you need further evaluation and possibly help. Are you now disqualified from voting? And if you are, how does that get reported to the proper authorities and distributed to your polling place. Just how is your name removed from the list? And beyond that if you are declared incompetent to vote what about your driver's license, your credit cards, your bank account and your medical choices. You're incompetent! Certainly, you can't be held accountable for anything you do. 

  Age alone can never be a disqualifier for the right to vote. For that reason, I don't feel we should ever impose an age limit on a person holding office. Term limits are appropriate and, in my opinion, necessary. Should anyone running for office have to pass cognitive testing? That is another discussion altogether. We have to pass tests and meet certain requirements for lots of other things. What is the job of a politician? Is it solely to represent their constituency? Well, that's the official line, isn't it? The reality is different. Politicians are there making decisions that will affect everyone. It is their cognitive abilities that we vote for. We choose our candidate based on that. At least that is what we are supposed to be doing. Again, the reality is often quite different. I don't think it would be unreasonable to impose a cognitive test upon anyone that files to run for office. A ten-minute assessment is all that is required according to the experts. I was subject to a psychiatric examination prior to being accepted for the position of Navy Recruiter. I guess the navy wanted to be sure I wasn't nuts for wanting the job. But, my point is simply that it was a requirement. I could have refused, and I wouldn't have gotten the job, my choice. I only had to pass it once. How often would a politician be required to pass that testing? At the beginning of every term? Under what conditions could that be called for? 

 The bottom line for me is simply that the voters are responsible for who gets in office. Isn't that the way it works. The voters should be the ones with the cognitive ability to make such a decision. If we are going to require a cognitive test for the politician running for that office, we would also have to require a cognitive test for the ones voting! Are you good with that? And if you are, who decides who passes and fails? Are there correct answers and incorrect answers? The perception of reality, to perceive and judge that effectively? Who decides?