Corporations, partnerships, trusts, limited liability companies, and other “artificial entities” have the right to vote in Delaware elections under some circumstances, a judge said in a novel ruling.
Judge Craig A. Karsnitz rejected an ACLU challenge to a charter permitting voting in local elections by the entities that own most of the property in the Town of Fenwick Island, one of several municipalities in the state with similar provisions. Karsnitz dismissed the lawsuit from Delaware’s Superior Court, citing “the principle of one person/entity/one vote.”
“Visions of faceless large corporations or even HAL controlling a small town are frightening and the stuff of science fiction,” but “trusts, partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations are expressly recognized as ‘persons’ in the Delaware Code,” the judge said.
It’s cool they get all rights of people, now let’s make sure they get all the detriments like the death penalty, jail time, and taxes the rest of us can get, too.
xicor on
Gotta love Republicans
SatiesUmbrellaCloset on
so this basically means new votes can be artificially created by people with enough money to run a business
No_big_whoop on
We have truly lost the script
demystifier on
Sweet, we are taking voting rights and fundamental powers away from black people in mass, but we can start granting voting rights to corporations now. Great, what a fucking awesome country we Americans live in.
PmpsWndbg on
Whoomp, there it is. This was pretty much inevitable after Citizens United.
02K30C1 on
So what’s stopping me from setting up hundreds of corporations so I can vote multiple times?
neilmoore on
“Anyone can buy OCP stock and own a piece of our city. What could be more democratic than that?”
Hillbilly_Boozer on
So I can register a 100 million LLCs and then I get to control a state with all my votes. Easy enough.
This is the most asinine garbage shit I’ve heard in a while and that’s a high bar given everything else going on.
Nythoren on
This was the inevitable destination for the crazy ruling that was Citizens United. Saying that corporations are people and thus have the same rights and protections as an individual opened up the door to them being given rights far beyond what a corporation should have.
Next we’ll see them granted protected status as a minority group, making laws that put controls on their actions “discriminatory”.
Plzlaw4me on
I’m sure that is precedent won’t further expand the political power of the economic elite at the expense of everyone else… at a certain point, we should probably just formalize the oligarchy and stop pretending we a democratic republic.
jankyt on
So any company not in Delaware is going to move there and set up dummies to dilute the human vote…? How dystopian
jim45804 on
Natural outcome of Citizens United
ryrythegrouchy on
Do they have to be 18?
Ya_Got_GOT on
Corporations get to be natural persons when it benefits them but take on few of the corresponding liabilities. It is a systemically unjust set of circumstances.
Trauma_Hawks on
Oh, I know this one. This is the first step to corporate sovereignty as seen in *every cyberpunk story*.
All of the corruption and none of the sweet robot arms. I’m irrate.
cbelt3 on
Delaware ? A billionaire can now create a billion LLC’s and vote. Welcome to the death of democracy.
Little_Buffalo on
What the fuck?
offinthepasture on
Does this mean all of the articles claiming “Millenials are killing *blank*” now amount to accusations of murder or manslaughter?
NicolasCageFan492 on
Delaware gets much of its revenue from corporations incorporating in Delaware. They’ve been losing their market share to states like Texas and Utah, I wonder if there is some latent pressure to be overly accommodative to corporations. Sad.
justbunnies on
Somebody should investigate that guy’s bank account.
themadscott on
For fucks sake. How long until these numbnuts say that corporations can run for public office?
totallymarc on
We’re not even hiding the fact we’re an oligarchy anymore. The government might as well drop all pretense and just outright say it.
Prudent-Flamingo1679 on
So can a corporation be president?
habitsofwaste on
This is out of hand
Sidwill on
Relax, the number of votes will equate to their share price times 5000 3 weeks before the election. Soooo
Senasayori on
Delaware needs to get their shit together and change that dumbass “corporations are persons” clause in their laws, this is complete bullshit.
Stardustchaser on
Fucking hell.
Tmotty on
I hate it here
According_Jeweler404 on
Corporations enjoy privileges that private citizens do not. Fuck this ruling categorically and fuck Judge Craig A. Karsnitz for further normalizing this.
astrozombie2012 on
What the fuck? Come again?
Edit: Even if it’s just to prove that the law needs changing it’s likely to get misconstrued by nefarious actors with malicious intentions… just sayin
Impressive_Put463 on
Owning a company is the new property owner voting law
OriginalCDub on
It’s not long until they decide corporations can run for office.
AWholeNewFattitude on
What! There is literally zero way this makes sense. A corporation is made up of literally one or multiple people so essentially this is saying that some people have multiple votes.
TransitJohn on
Sure, why not? Let’s just go all the way into a William Gibson dystopia.
LuigiTheTweak_eth on
Time to go after corporate law and write it into legislation that corporations aren’t people.
This isn’t a free speech issue it’s a corporate doctrine issue. Don’t let companies tell you otherwise.
TheFalconKid on
Delaware should not exist. Maryland should have annexed it hundreds of years ago.
magniankh on
Delaware already has weird laws that allow for shell companies. There’s a reason why when you buy somewhat random imported goods, it ships from Delaware. You can maintain an address there as a “business,” but the address is like the stock yard and not actually a warehouse.
sirhackenslash on
I always thought the downfall of civilization would hit the Mad Max phase a lot sooner. Instead we’re being slowly legislated into the apocalypse
Idiot_Savant_13 on
A “no body” can now vote.
Does the corporation have to be at least 18 years old & registered for the draft?
What’s the gender of the corporate entity – laws say it has to be one of two, right?
How’s it going to show id at the poll?
FredFredrickson on
If corporations can vote in elections then they should absolutely be able to be put in jail when they break the law.
Fugahzee on
Citizens United really was the downfall of this country
otiswrath on
I am happy to allow them to vote if when their organization breaks the law their board of directors can be incarcerated or executed.
MarcusSurealius on
Can the corporation go to jail? You don’t get the rights of citizenship without the responsibilities.
46 Comments
Corporations, partnerships, trusts, limited liability companies, and other “artificial entities” have the right to vote in Delaware elections under some circumstances, a judge said in a novel ruling.
Judge Craig A. Karsnitz rejected an ACLU challenge to a charter permitting voting in local elections by the entities that own most of the property in the Town of Fenwick Island, one of several municipalities in the state with similar provisions. Karsnitz dismissed the lawsuit from Delaware’s Superior Court, citing “the principle of one person/entity/one vote.”
“Visions of faceless large corporations or even HAL controlling a small town are frightening and the stuff of science fiction,” but “trusts, partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations are expressly recognized as ‘persons’ in the Delaware Code,” the judge said.
Read more in the full [story](https://news.bloomberglaw.com/esg/corporations-have-the-right-to-vote-in-delaware-town-judge-says?utm_source=reddit.com&utm_medium=lawdesk).
-Elliot
wtf
It’s cool they get all rights of people, now let’s make sure they get all the detriments like the death penalty, jail time, and taxes the rest of us can get, too.
Gotta love Republicans
so this basically means new votes can be artificially created by people with enough money to run a business
We have truly lost the script
Sweet, we are taking voting rights and fundamental powers away from black people in mass, but we can start granting voting rights to corporations now. Great, what a fucking awesome country we Americans live in.
Whoomp, there it is. This was pretty much inevitable after Citizens United.
So what’s stopping me from setting up hundreds of corporations so I can vote multiple times?
“Anyone can buy OCP stock and own a piece of our city. What could be more democratic than that?”
So I can register a 100 million LLCs and then I get to control a state with all my votes. Easy enough.
This is the most asinine garbage shit I’ve heard in a while and that’s a high bar given everything else going on.
This was the inevitable destination for the crazy ruling that was Citizens United. Saying that corporations are people and thus have the same rights and protections as an individual opened up the door to them being given rights far beyond what a corporation should have.
Next we’ll see them granted protected status as a minority group, making laws that put controls on their actions “discriminatory”.
I’m sure that is precedent won’t further expand the political power of the economic elite at the expense of everyone else… at a certain point, we should probably just formalize the oligarchy and stop pretending we a democratic republic.
So any company not in Delaware is going to move there and set up dummies to dilute the human vote…? How dystopian
Natural outcome of Citizens United
Do they have to be 18?
Corporations get to be natural persons when it benefits them but take on few of the corresponding liabilities. It is a systemically unjust set of circumstances.
Oh, I know this one. This is the first step to corporate sovereignty as seen in *every cyberpunk story*.
All of the corruption and none of the sweet robot arms. I’m irrate.
Delaware ? A billionaire can now create a billion LLC’s and vote. Welcome to the death of democracy.
What the fuck?
Does this mean all of the articles claiming “Millenials are killing *blank*” now amount to accusations of murder or manslaughter?
Delaware gets much of its revenue from corporations incorporating in Delaware. They’ve been losing their market share to states like Texas and Utah, I wonder if there is some latent pressure to be overly accommodative to corporations. Sad.
Somebody should investigate that guy’s bank account.
For fucks sake. How long until these numbnuts say that corporations can run for public office?
We’re not even hiding the fact we’re an oligarchy anymore. The government might as well drop all pretense and just outright say it.
So can a corporation be president?
This is out of hand
Relax, the number of votes will equate to their share price times 5000 3 weeks before the election. Soooo
Delaware needs to get their shit together and change that dumbass “corporations are persons” clause in their laws, this is complete bullshit.
Fucking hell.
I hate it here
Corporations enjoy privileges that private citizens do not. Fuck this ruling categorically and fuck Judge Craig A. Karsnitz for further normalizing this.
What the fuck? Come again?
Edit: Even if it’s just to prove that the law needs changing it’s likely to get misconstrued by nefarious actors with malicious intentions… just sayin
Owning a company is the new property owner voting law
It’s not long until they decide corporations can run for office.
What! There is literally zero way this makes sense. A corporation is made up of literally one or multiple people so essentially this is saying that some people have multiple votes.
Sure, why not? Let’s just go all the way into a William Gibson dystopia.
Time to go after corporate law and write it into legislation that corporations aren’t people.
This isn’t a free speech issue it’s a corporate doctrine issue. Don’t let companies tell you otherwise.
Delaware should not exist. Maryland should have annexed it hundreds of years ago.
Delaware already has weird laws that allow for shell companies. There’s a reason why when you buy somewhat random imported goods, it ships from Delaware. You can maintain an address there as a “business,” but the address is like the stock yard and not actually a warehouse.
I always thought the downfall of civilization would hit the Mad Max phase a lot sooner. Instead we’re being slowly legislated into the apocalypse
A “no body” can now vote.
Does the corporation have to be at least 18 years old & registered for the draft?
What’s the gender of the corporate entity – laws say it has to be one of two, right?
How’s it going to show id at the poll?
If corporations can vote in elections then they should absolutely be able to be put in jail when they break the law.
Citizens United really was the downfall of this country
I am happy to allow them to vote if when their organization breaks the law their board of directors can be incarcerated or executed.
Can the corporation go to jail? You don’t get the rights of citizenship without the responsibilities.