OT: Mandatory Voting

[Slick]

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.

[Abdiel]

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.

[Gandalf Parker]

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.

[Randallw]

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?.

[dogscoff]

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.

[Fyron]

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?.

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.

[Abdiel]

Originally posted by dogscoff:

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

My initial sentiments. But then, how can you take away a right of a person because he exercised another right?

Abd.