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Originally Posted by fastom
US politics baffles me but what does it mean to be "Registered" as a Libertarian? Do they need to know who you are voting for in advance? Can you change your mind?
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Registration is for demographics and to decide whose primaries you vote in. I'm a registered libertarian because of all the US parties, I find their policies least offensive and abhorrent of all political parties, and I feel that their principles are noble despite impracticalities in application.
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Originally Posted by ryfo
In Australia, its illegal not to vote, at 18 you have to register to vote and can get fined if you dont vote in all elections, be they local, state or federal. And we live in a democracy!
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Is it permissible to show up but refuse to cast a vote in any or all races? Ideally there would be an option in each race to decline, and on to decline to cast a vote in any election. Refusal to vote is a viable and legitimate form of protest. Participation in an election is an acknowledgment of that election's legitimacy, and even if you are require to go to the polls, no election can be considered free unless the option to abstain exists.