In Country C, some but not all eligible voters are required to vote. The particulars of the country's laws governing...
GMAT Two Part Analysis : (TPA) Questions
In Country C, some but not all eligible voters are required to vote. The particulars of the country's laws governing voting are as follows. Every citizen who is eligible must vote on election day. A person is eligible if (and only if) he or she meets the age requirement and either is a citizen or meets the residency requirement for noncitizens. The age requirement is that every voter must be at least 19 years old on election day. The residency requirement for noncitizens is that the voter must have been a resident of Country C for at least 5 years on election day. Consider the following individuals:
- Abigail: a citizen who is currently 19 years old
- Barbara: a 7-year resident noncitizen who is currently 19 years old
- Charles: a 7-year resident noncitizen who is currently 18 years old
For an election held today, select the individual or individuals who must vote, based on the information provided, and select the individual or individuals who must not vote, based on the information provided. Make only two selections, one in each column.
OWNING THE DATASET
Visual Representation
| Individual | Age | Status | Years of Residency |
| Abigail | 19 | Citizen | N/A |
| Barbara | 19 | Noncitizen | 7 years |
| Charles | 18 | Noncitizen | 7 years |
Eligibility Requirements:
- Age requirement: Must be at least 19 years old on election day
- Citizenship/Residency: Must either:
- Be a citizen, OR
- Be a noncitizen with at least 5 years of residency
Voting Requirement:
- Every citizen who is eligible must vote
- Note: The passage states "some but not all eligible voters are required to vote"
SEEKING THE CRITICAL INSIGHT
The critical insight here is the distinction between:
- Eligibility to vote (who CAN vote)
- Requirement to vote (who MUST vote)
Only eligible citizens are required to vote. Eligible noncitizens may vote but are not required to.
UNDERSTANDING THE QUESTION
We need to identify:
- Must vote: Individuals who are legally required to vote
- Must not vote: Individuals who are legally prohibited from voting (i.e., not eligible)
PROCESSING THE SOLUTION
Analyzing Each Individual
Abigail
- Age: 19 years old ✓ (meets requirement)
- Status: Citizen ✓
- Eligible: YES
- Required to vote: YES (eligible citizen)
- Conclusion: MUST VOTE
Barbara
- Age: 19 years old ✓ (meets requirement)
- Status: Noncitizen with 7 years residency ✓ (exceeds 5-year requirement)
- Eligible: YES
- Required to vote: NO (not a citizen)
- Conclusion: MAY vote but not required
Charles
- Age: 18 years old ✗ (below 19-year requirement)
- Status: Noncitizen with 7 years residency
- Eligible: NO (fails age requirement)
- Conclusion: MUST NOT VOTE (not eligible)
Verification Through Logic
- Must vote: Only Abigail, as she's the only eligible citizen
- Must not vote: Only Charles, as he's the only ineligible person
- Barbara falls into neither category - she's eligible but not required to vote
FINAL SOLUTION SYNTHESIS
Step-by-Step Recap:
- Identified eligibility criteria: age ≥ 19 AND (citizen OR 5+ years residency)
- Recognized that only eligible citizens are required to vote
- Applied criteria to each individual
- Distinguished between eligibility and requirement
Final Answer:
- Must vote: Abigail only
- Must not vote: Charles only
Key Insights:
- The passage's opening statement "some but not all eligible voters are required to vote" signals that eligibility ≠ requirement
- Only eligible citizens have a voting requirement
- Ineligible individuals are prohibited from voting
Exam Strategy:
- Always distinguish between permission and requirement in legal/regulatory contexts
- Pay attention to qualifying language ("some but not all") that indicates partial application of rules
- Create clear visual representations to track multiple attributes per entity