Compulsory Voting
 

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This probably wouldn't be a great idea. Most people who wouldn't have voted anyway don't care about politics and would put absolutely no effort into researching candidates and making a wise decision. The people that vote now at least attempt to make a decision (even if they're voting strictly by party, if that's what they think is best at least they have an opinion). If everyone had to vote it would turn into even more of a popularity/name-recognition contest than it is now, because the uneducated (on the candidates) voters would simply pick the first name they recognize.

Then again, if the fine is only about $20, a lot of people would pay it just to get out of the "hassle" of voting. Increased revenue isn't a bad thing :p

Hell no, why would you want people voting who have no idea what they are voting for. Most people who don't bother to vote also don't bother to educate themselves on the issues or candidates, so for them to vote would just be random numbers.
Just as we have the freedom to vote, we need the freedom not to vote.

The best solution is not to make voting compulsory, but to create a voting holiday.

This way, those who want to vote, but can't because of their busy schedule, would be given the opportunity to do so.

I have yet to see any decent argument against this proposal and yet Republicans continue to block it. Wonder why :rolleyes:

we dont want people voting who dont want to vote.
that would just make 'em end up voting for a candidate at random.


not voting at all can be taken as a sign of happiness w/ the status quo.


also, i thought it was cool that in the russian elections, you have the option of voting for none of the above

Jebus,

For the second time in TFP history, I agree with The_Dude.

NO NO NO NO!

Voting should NEVER be compulsory.

Read "Starship Troopers".

(now I think I'll go buy a lotto ticket ;) )

it should be the opposite. you should have to take short test before voting. too many morons out there voting for one side just to jump on the bandwagon.

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Sometimes those who care so little about what is going on are best left to wallow in their blissful stupor of stupidity. No one should be required to vote but sometimes it makes you wonder about the intelligence of those who never vote and are always unhappy with the outcome of the election. I do not remember an election in my life in which I was elgible to vote and didn't. Many times it seems the most intelligent thing to do is write in none of the above - but there is always one candidate that is less desirable than the other. Often people do not vote for one candidate - they vote against another and I see absolutely nothing wrong with that. No matter the choices one chooses to make there is one old adage that will always come back to haunt you - If you don't vote, you have no complaint coming.

Voter Faud Pisses Me Off.
If you steal my vote you should be killed at the poll and your head should put up at the polling place!!!!
I take my vote Serious!!!!!

I'm all for it.

I can remember having voting day off all through elementary school. Not sure why they stopped doing that. I agree with maximusveritas, create a voting holiday.

I dont know how you guys do it in the US, but over here in El Salvador, elections are always held on Sundays so people don't have the excuse of not voting because of work.

PS: last elections here, the turnup was of 40% give or take :(

voting is compulsory in Australia.
but the fine is much bigger if you don't vote.
20 euros is just a little slap in the wrist.

edit: i love that voting holiday idea. we vote on Saturdays, so that would mean yet another long weekend.

We have a voting holiday in Norway, and the turnup is usually quite high. (Don't remember the exact numbers)

But with a population of about 4.2 million people and 5 major parties, each mans vote means more for the total result than in larger countries like for example Russia or USA and that might inspire a higher turnup since more people think their oppinion matter and might make some difference.

I think that the solution is not to force everyone to vote, but for everyone who is able to get ther to show up at the polls, even if they don't actually vote. This would pull the "my opinion doesn't make a difference" people into the polls, because most of them do have an opinion. I also think that day-before voter registration should replace the two-month limit, because two months is before the time when a good number of people start to really follow the campaigns, and they don't get around to registering until it's too late.

Voting is also regulated in the UK (couldn't spell compulsory).

100£ fine if you don't register to vote.. Costs 10'000£ to register a party to vote for. Unfortunately that only applies to local authority votes, not national elecs (unless I'm mistaken).
IMHO 2 party systems suck. We want the freedom to say "no party is any good, we want a new election,"

How can you possibly have a democracy where people don't vote? The whole point of democracy is that people take an active role in choosing leaders, and that everybody HAS TO HAVE A SAY. Like Bundy said, we have compulsory voting here in Australia, and it's a damn good idea.

Horrible Idea. I never vote there is no reason. I have never seen a politician who agrees with me on more than 60 percent of the issues. When I see A politician who deserves my vote, I will go to the polls. We should have the freedom to do this.

But if one agrees with you 60% and one not at all, wouldn't it make sense to vote for the lesser of two evils?

Sure, the choices may not be great, but at least you're making them!

<<But if one agrees with you 60% and one not at all, wouldn't it make sense to vote for the lesser of two evils?>>

Thats just something that I refuse to do. Im not gonna wait in line to vote for someone who I only halfway agree with. That is a waist of my time.

Be careful what you say. There is no true democracy anywhere in the world (feel free to point out any country I might have missed). The USA is, for example, a democratic republic.

Now, I'll admit I had an opportunity to vote in 2000 and 2002, but didn't. Why? Because I felt that an uneducated vote was worse than not voting. I accepted that complaining about my later-elected representative would not really be politically correct.

Why didn't I trust my own opinions about the elections in question? I still think elections, generally, are too much of a smoke screen. Candidates rarely seem to have a clear stance on everything I care about. Debates usually confuse me about what the candidate(s) really think/believe. Newspapers print conflicting or misleading information. And so on.

I'm also paralyzed by not caring when it comes to "primary elections" that are specific to a party. That should, in my opinion, be left either to the party's internal process, or all the party's candidates should appear on the ballot.

Perhaps I'll give it more than a few hours' effort on research for the next US Presidential election. Hopefully there will be more choice.. I'm tired of seeing candidates that only match up to me about 75% of the way or less. Four choices is just not enough for 280 million people!

No one single candidate is ever going to completely and totaly represent everything that you believe in. Unless you are a gulible sheep, and buy into party rhetoric, no single political party will represent your every opinion or belief, either. I am a member of the Libertarian Party. Do I believe in <b>everything</b> that the party espouses? No! But they do represent the <b>majority</b> of my political viewpoints. Do I vote a straight line party ticket? Again, with a resounding NO! I vote Libertarian, Democratic, Republican...whoever. <b>Someone</b> is better than having no choice at all.

I have a problem with authority. If I were forced by law to vote, I would purposefully select the biggest goofbag on the ballot and vote for him/her just to spite everybody.

It works well in Australia, but that's because it's always been that way.

The US congress and the major US parties know precisely how a change to compulsory voting would affect all of their numbers - they have pollsters, they have number crunchers.

I guarantee there are congressmen out there who would be wiped out if this ever happened. Because of that, they would be certain to use their power and oppose this to the fullest extent.

They would sow a lot of discontent about the issue, people would then listen to their rhetoric and become angry about their usurped liberties.

Most mainstream polticians are going to favour and fight for the status quo. In Australia, it is compulsory voting; in America, it is not.

A voting holiday is a good idea, and making voting easier - ie. mail in ballots or something?