OT: Mandatory Voting
 

I consider myself fairly up to speed on political things, but I was suprised to learn today that some countries, Australia for one, have a mandatory voting.

I am curious what people think about this, especially those that live in countries where voting is mandatory. I think it's something I would support if the punishment wasn't too harsh. Perhaps a fine or something.

Re: OT: Mandatory Voting
 

Hmm, i'd be against this probably for two reasons.

Some of those who choose not to vote would most likely vote for a party bound to cause trouble. (BNP in britain is one example)

Secondly, if no party supports your views then why should you have to vote for one?

Of course this is IMHO

[ June 28, 2004, 19:16: Message edited by: Raging Deadstar ]

Re: OT: Mandatory Voting
 

I wouldn't support making you vote for a particular person or party. You should have the option of "None of the above" or simply leaving those blank. But it's not to much to ask for everybody to show up or fill out and send in an absentee ballot. Unless you've got some serious health reason or something like that of course.

Re: OT: Mandatory Voting
 

A lot of South American nations have mandatory voting. Many people just turn in blank ballots...

An important right is the right to not participate. You know, freedom and all.

[ June 28, 2004, 19:26: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

Re: OT: Mandatory Voting
 

Lol, there's always a way round things...

Re: OT: Mandatory Voting
 

The problem is now you can't tell if someone is refusing to participate, or just doesn't give a flip. Low voter turnout can be interepreted in any way you want. If you're the incumbant you can say things are going great and it's a measure of the voters satisfaction with with how things are going. If you are a challanger you could say that things are so bad that the the voters are disilusioned with the whole process and don't think it matters. We can't really tell though.

If people are compelled to take some sort of action, even if it's only to turn in a blank ballot, at least then we have a better sense of what they are feeling.

[ June 28, 2004, 19:36: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

Re: OT: Mandatory Voting
 

Maybe. But forcing them to go to the polls is not the solution.

Re: OT: Mandatory Voting
 

I'm pretty sure that most (if not all) countries with mandatory voting also make Voting Day a major holiday-type event. In the US, a lot of people have to rush to go vote during their lunch hour, since laws requiring employers to allow their workers time to vote are a hassle to get enforced. But in the mandatory-voting countries, many people will get the day off, or at least a half day off, in order to cast their vote.

As long as voting in the US is seen as a burden instead of a vital right and duty, mandatory voting probably isn't the best idea. And if it is implemented, there should be an abstain/no-vote option for each item on the ballot, and voters should get brief (1 paragraph) summaries of each candidate's platform, ballot proposition/initiative, etc. Because a lot of Americans would just vote for a random politician without having any idea what that politician's views are.

Re: OT: Mandatory Voting
 

I always vote because I know how valuable this right is compared to the situation in some other countries. People have died for my right to vote and I respect that very much.

I think it would be interesting to take the reverse approach. What if the country said that [______] people no longer will be allowed to vote because of repeated low voter turnout and that the small number who do vote don't make a difference in the final numbers anyway. Fill in the blank with any group you wish. Can you imagine the firestorm that would follow? The very people in the blank above would be outraged and the rest of the country would certainly side with them about being discriminated against. There is no doubt that this would be the reaction. You'd think that if voting was so important to them, the would vote in the first place. Some people just want the right to vote, but don't want to exercise that right.

Slick.

Re: OT: Mandatory Voting
 

And they would be right. (sorry bout the pun =)

If they couldn't care less, or loved the incumbent so much, or for whatever else reason they didn't want to turn up to the polls, it's their fundamental right. Any government that turns around to try to change this is asking for trouble from all sides.

Forcing at least a blank form is well, ambiguous. Is the government now starting to flex its muscles, and how far would it go? The next step of filling those blank forms for you might not be too far off. But pretending you were there and filling it in for you totally is another different matter, which is why people may choose not to turn up.

Then again, we are habitual animals. Those people in countries with mandatory show-up-or-____ systems are probably used to it, that, or it might be the next change in the pipeline.

But still, don't take away that right not to show up, not to care, not to bother about what somebody else thinks I think.

Abd.

Re: OT: Mandatory Voting
 

Its not the voting thats a problem. Most of the united states actually does vote. They voted for their favorite singer, or who should leave the house, or their favorite episode. All those important TV things. They just didnt vote for president. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Re: OT: Mandatory Voting
 

Sure we have to vote. The government makes you pay if you don't. I don't know what the penalty is as I have never broken the law. If for any reason you can't vote on the day you must place a postal vote, and woe betide anyone who doesn't vote. People who can't be bothered usually just fill out the form 1,2,3 (called a donkey vote). To combat donkey votes the candidates names are in a different order on each form so the first candidate doesn't get all the votes. Usually Federal election day is on a saturday (I think), at least I know no one ever works on it. Its not always the same day since the Government decides when it wants to hold an election. In fact everyone in Australia knows we will have an election in a few months but the Government hasn't made it official yet or set a date. In an attempt to get green votes the Leader of the Opposition decided to put forth a rockstar with environmental leaning (to say the least) for a safe seat. Problem is the opposition thinks an actual long term member should get the position not some guy who has never been a Labour member and who hasn't voted in 10 years. He says he's voted, but as he isn't even on the roll his votes wouldn't count anyway.

As an aside we just fill out a form marking which candidates in order we want. I have seen footage of voting in America and can't understand why it is more complicated than necessary ie. Why use a machine that can cause an error when anyone can simply write on their ballot?.

Re: OT: Mandatory Voting
 

I think ppl should have the right not to vote. It says a lot about the our country that so many ppl just don't bother. I for one find it increasingly hard to care, since not matter who anyone votes for, you just get another politician elected.

That said, there should be a law that says that if you don't vote, you have no right to complain about anything political=-)

Making voting day a national holiday is a great idea, and would certainly do a lot to boost the turnout. And I'd get an extra day off work=-)

Governments also need to look at secure and accountable ways to implement things like internet voting- hell, even text-message voting if that what it takes to get people interested.

Re: OT: Mandatory Voting
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Because it is easier and more cost efficient to have a machine read the punch card ballots than to hire people to read each individual ballot.

Re: OT: Mandatory Voting
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">My initial sentiments. But then, how can you take away a right of a person because he exercised another right?

Abd.

Re: OT: Mandatory Voting
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Because it is easier and more cost efficient to have a machine read the punch card ballots than to hire people to read each individual ballot. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I am beginning to realise what you mean. I was working from all the footage I saw of people looking at each ballot and seeing which "chad" (is that the word?) was half punched. I can see that was only because of the dispute over half punched ballots. If a machine reads the ballots does that mean all the forms are the same?. As I mentioned before in Australia all the Ballots are not set up similar.

Re: OT: Mandatory Voting
 

The australian voting system is much more diverse in the US you have republican, democrat and independant occasionally - in australia yuo have upwards of 20-30 candidates in the senate and 3-10 in the house of reps. I guess the US needs to do much more as we dont even know if george W Bush is in fact the true president of the US

Re: OT: Mandatory Voting
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">...Then please add "none of the above" to the ballot!

If I am forced to vote for someone who's views I don't support simply because the others are worse, in order to gain the right to complain, why not just go whole hog and have the "one party" system.

Maybe I should run myself. At least then I can vote for someone who shares my views... I hope. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/shock.gif

Truthfully, I believe there is a lot less apathy out there then generally believed. Many of us simply don't believe the politicians.

Re: OT: Mandatory Voting
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Yes, the ballots are all the same. However, that does not matter. All you need is barcode formatting along one edge to tell the machine how the specific ballot is formatted. They do this for multiple choice tests on "scantron" forms, read by machines, now, with multiple Versions of the test as an anti-cheating measure. It would certainly work for ballots.

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">It is a well established fact. Al Gore conceded the election almost 4 years ago. There is absolutely no doubt possible that George W. Bush is the current President of the USA.

[ June 30, 2004, 04:11: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

Re: OT: Mandatory Voting
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">It is a well established fact. Al Gore conceded the election almost 4 years ago. There is absolutely no doubt possible that George W. Bush is the current President of the USA. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">With apologies to the Pythons:
<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">

Re: OT: Mandatory Voting
 

ROFL! Nice one WIll.

Re: OT: Mandatory Voting
 

That is very funny. Maybe you should post it in the jokes thread.

Re: OT: Mandatory Voting
 

I wonder if Al Gore ever accepted the fact that he lost to Florida voters stupidity?