Obama: Maybe it's time for mandatory voting - CNN.com
Australia and Belgium should be proud of themselves.
Australia and Belgium should be proud of themselves.
Mandatory voting
- Thread starter rainforests1
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beancounter
The Fire That Burns Within
beancounter
The Fire That Burns Within
AeryFairy
Anachronism
I don't necessarily have an issue with the idea of mandatory voting, but if it was going to be put in place then voting would need to be completely accessible (paid time off to vote, multiple ways of voting, voting open for several days, etc.). There would also need to be valid ways of marking disinterest/abstaining/voting 'none of the above'. And there would still need to be exceptions, and 'punishing' people who don't vote would be a logistical nightmare, and it's hard enough to even pass a minor voting reform without something huge like this, so basically it wouldn't work anyway 
Calliegirl
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I would like to see more people voting. If all the lazy democrats had got off their rear ends and voted, we wouldn't have this mess.
But, I wouldn't want people voting who have no interest in it. They would probably be resentful of being forced, and I doubt would have looked over any of the issues or candidates, and would most likely fill in random boxes to be done as quickly as possible.
I'm not opposed to incentives though, maybe some sort of tax credit?
But, I wouldn't want people voting who have no interest in it. They would probably be resentful of being forced, and I doubt would have looked over any of the issues or candidates, and would most likely fill in random boxes to be done as quickly as possible.
I'm not opposed to incentives though, maybe some sort of tax credit?
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If they want more people to vote, then they need to make it easier to vote, and they need to make each vote count equally, and each vote must count.
To make it easier to vote, they have to make it possible to vote online.
To make each vote count equally, they have to put an end to the electoral colleague and simply count votes. In the UK they have to bring about proportional voting instead of "first past the post", I guess.
To make each vote count, they have to do something about votes that are "wasted" for various reasons. If you vote for an independent candidate in the US presidential election, it is unlikely to count in any way, because only the two dominant parties have a real chance of winning. It's similar in the UK. If the voters could vote for a ranked list rather than just one candidate, then that would help a lot.
To make it easier to vote, they have to make it possible to vote online.
To make each vote count equally, they have to put an end to the electoral colleague and simply count votes. In the UK they have to bring about proportional voting instead of "first past the post", I guess.
To make each vote count, they have to do something about votes that are "wasted" for various reasons. If you vote for an independent candidate in the US presidential election, it is unlikely to count in any way, because only the two dominant parties have a real chance of winning. It's similar in the UK. If the voters could vote for a ranked list rather than just one candidate, then that would help a lot.
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The thought of someone who knows nothing about politics voting seems crazy to me.
Which holiday would you get rid of? We already have too many, at least here in the US.
ledboots
Peace
In Florida, we now have early voting for several weeks before the election, including on weekends, which makes it easy. There are also easily obtained absentee ballots which can be mailed or dropped off far before the election. In addition, many neighborhoods have buses that take people to the polls for free, both during early voting and on election day. My workplace gives paid time off to vote on Election Day, as well.
Forcing people to vote is undemocratic, imo.
And voting a Third Party candidate in the US is not wasting a vote!
Forcing people to vote is undemocratic, imo.
And voting a Third Party candidate in the US is not wasting a vote!
beancounter
The Fire That Burns Within
How would you test for knowledge? Who would decide the questions/criteria? How would it be graded? Such a litmus test would exclude a lot of people. Mostly those with less education and financial resources. It would create a class of individuals with no hope of representation - a group of people that could be exploited and abused with no recourse whatsoever. Such a class divide enters dangerous territory.
You're framing the question as if replacing an existing holiday is the only solution, a given or a fact. Obviously it's not.
ledboots
Peace
What!?! Do you work full-time? New Years Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Independence Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day are the only major holidays that get most people a day off work, often not even paid. Six days out of 52 weeks.
beancounter
The Fire That Burns Within
I agree with you, but it can also depend on where you work. At my first job, we had 13 holidays in addition to vacation time.
Working for a quasi-governmental organization in Boston had it's benefits. I miss Patriot's Day
.
GingerFoxx
No effin' whey!
Likewise. I work full-time for a 50-person company. We get those same 6 days off. They don't give us Veterans Day or Civil Rights Day or President's Day or any of those. Still, Voting Day as a national holiday still wouldn't necessarily make voting easier for people in the healthcare industry or other career that can't take a day off. Absentee ballots and some reliably secure means of online voting would need to be made easily accessible.
I don't see the point of punishing (fining?) people for not voting as this would probably push them to feel even less politically engaged.
It does annoy me however when I've had discussions with people and they have strong political views but then they don't vote or they don't even bother to register to vote. I don't understand that at all!
It does annoy me however when I've had discussions with people and they have strong political views but then they don't vote or they don't even bother to register to vote. I don't understand that at all!
How about we keep registering to vote optional, but make it mandatory for those that do register? That seems like a good compromise to me. Keep the obliviously ignorant that just don't care away from the polls, while lighting a fire under the tails of those who cared enough to register.
beancounter
The Fire That Burns Within
Calliegirl
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I wouldn't like that. I vote in most elections but we occasionally have really small ones that I don't. I don't see a need for me to vote in an election where the only thing on the ballot is someone running for the local school board where I have no children in school, and have no idea about the politics that have been going on during the school year.
ledboots
Peace
I'd rather not waste resources on a law to force people to take advantage of a free society privilege.
