Compulsory Voting

[hjmick]

Why should the vote of a maroon cancel out my informed vote?

MAROON? And you consider yourself the "educated" voter eh? LMAO. Fucking moron.

How'd that comment work out for you, zeke? Kind of sucks when everyone else gets the joke and you're the one with egg on your face. Fucking moron.

 

[AvgGuyIA]

last time i checked it was a free country

what else you want to mandate

--LOL

The Tigers are showing their stripes.

 

[AvgGuyIA]

Why should the vote of a maroon cancel out my informed vote?

MAROON? And you consider yourself the "educated" voter eh? LMAO. Fucking moron.

How'd that comment work out for you, zeke? Kind of sucks when everyone else gets the joke and you're the one with egg on your face. Fucking moron.

You mean fucking maroon!

 

[AvgGuyIA]

Before making voting compulsory, let's try making Election Day a federal holiday and see how that affects voter turnout.

Another dumb idea like early voting.

 

[Roadrunner]

Before making voting compulsory, let's try making Election Day a federal holiday and see how that affects voter turnout.

Another dumb idea like early voting.

I think it is, at least every four years.

 

[Roadrunner]

Corruption/criminal activity exists in every walk of life, but----- but "Places with mandatory voting also have less wealth inequality, lower levels of political corruption and higher levels of satisfaction with the way democracy is working than voluntary systems."
.

Bullshit. 13 countries in Latin America have mandatory voting. Not exactly a region known for a lack of inequality or political corruption, to say the least.

No wealth inequality in Latin America, no siree, or corruption, nah, none of that.

 

[deltex1]

The better option would be to have most Americans not vote. Clueless fucking irrational children.

Did you follow your own advice? I hope so.

 

[Seawytch]

Before making voting compulsory, let's try making Election Day a federal holiday and see how that affects voter turnout.

Making Election Day a Federal Holiday isn't going to increase voter turnout. What would increase are the number of BBQs, mattress sales and Law and Order marathons.

 

[Seawytch]

Before making voting compulsory, let's try making Election Day a federal holiday and see how that affects voter turnout.

Another dumb idea like early voting.

Why do you think early voting is a dumb idea? A dumb idea is having just one day for millions to cast votes.

 

[Darkwind]

Well, Governor Palin should be in the White House but she's never run. That's who you meant, right? What are we supposed to do with a comment like yours? How do we get people who should be in office into office if they don't run?

Easy, rational people appoint them. Letting the pitchforks vote is idiotic, they have fields to plow.

Let's see if you can spot the problem here. Every liberal on this board believes that they're rational. Are you getting a vibe yet?

Rational liberals founded this nation. We're still around, we're just 230 years smarter. If you'd use your head instead of your emotions you'd understand that.

A liberal instructing a conservative to think instead of feel. What, are we in Bizarro Universe all of a sudden? Hey, there's reverse over there.

Most "conservatives" aren't rational, which is what makes them conservative. Here they are Reactionaries, which makes them even less rational, meaning they are not just children but stupid ones at that.

Reading your posts, I find you to be not very rational at all. So much so I have to wonder if you can even read this reply in the proper context, or if some purplish ghoul is floating before your eyes whispering fear into your mind.

Tyranny has never been anything but disaster for the innocent, and what you propose is nothing but.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Before making voting compulsory, let's try making Election Day a federal holiday and see how that affects voter turnout.

Sure, as long as you're willing to eliminate one holiday in exchange for that! (Or just do the LOGICAL thing and have elections on weekends.)

 

[Freewill]

.
In this years mid-term election, a pathetic 36.6 percent voted.
In Australia about 92% of eligible voters voted in their last election.
Do you think it's time to start talking about compulsory voting?

The Economist explains
Where is it compulsory to vote?
Sep 19th 2013

<snip>

...in some countries skipping the polling booth can land you in trouble. In Australia non-voters can expect a letter from the electoral commission demanding an explanation for their absenteeism. If they don’t have a good excuse they are fined A$20 ($19). If they fail to pay they can end up in court, where the fine is upped to A$170, plus court fees. Refuse to cough up and they face jail. A survey by Britain’s electoral commission in 2006 categorised three other countries as having “very strict” compulsory-voting regimes. In Brazil and Peru, non-voters are banned from carrying out various administrative transactions (Brazilians cannot apply for passports or sit professional exams, in theory at least), as well as facing small fines. In Singapore, non-voters have their names removed from the electoral roll—which many of them are presumably not too worried by. A host of other countries have varyingly strict rules on voting, along with some curious get-outs. Illiterate people are excused in Brazil and Ecuador; soldiers are excluded in Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Lebanon. The elderly are off the hook in several countries. And in Bolivia, where voting is notionally compulsory, married people are enfranchised from the age of 18, whereas singletons must wait until they are 21.

Proponents of mandatory voting argue that democracy is too important to be optional. Others say that compulsory self-determination is something of a contradiction in terms.

<snip>
.

No. Those who choose not to vote do so at their peril however. Often the law of big numbers kicks in and enough people are in the middle of the road to modulate any large swings of power and the man on the street is usually not directly affected by national votes so they can get by not voting. Every blue moon however...you're affected.

Gore wins in 2000 and you don't have Iraq, 6,000 Americans are not dead (maybe the brother or the Sister of the guy who didn't vote). The margin was a few hundred people if you discount the butterfly ballot which delivered the election for Bush.

here I thought Edgar Casey was dead. Gore wins election A-bomb set off in NYC along with 9/11.

 

[Grover]

Stupid, uniformed people shouldn't vote. Period.

 

[Unkotare]

Gore wins in 2000 and you don't have Iraq, 6,000 Americans are not dead ...

You don't know either of those things - at all.

 

[Unkotare]

Second every voter should have to prove they paid income taxes before they're allowed to vote.

Third every voter should have to pass a test on their knowledge of the Bill Of Rights before they are allowed to vote.

Your ilk tried that sort of thing a long time ago. Not a good idea.

 

[Rikurzhen]

Gore wins in 2000 and you don't have Iraq, 6,000 Americans are not dead ...

You don't know either of those things - at all.

Especially when we take Gore's statements on nation building, during the debate with Bush, into account. He was a more enthusiastic supporter of using American military power to liberalize societies and intervene in other nation's internal affairs.

 

[BoSoxGal]

Stupid, uniformed people shouldn't vote. Period.

Sorry, but that's a stupid statement.

Who would determine this standard? I'm guessing that I might consider YOU to be stupid and uninformed, and vice versa, even though I know I'm not and you likely believe the same about yourself.

EVERYONE should have the opportunity to vote. Weekend voting won't solve the problem because lots of folks work weekends. For that matter, my suggestion isn't terrific because lots of folks don't get holidays off, either.

Voting should be protected - and compulsory - like jury duty, such that employers MUST provide adequate time away from work to vote.

 

[Rikurzhen]

Stupid, uniformed people shouldn't vote. Period.

Sorry, but that's a stupid statement.

Who would determine this standard? I'm guessing that I might consider YOU to be stupid and uninformed, and vice versa, even though I know I'm not and you likely believe the same about yourself.

EVERYONE should have the opportunity to vote. Weekend voting won't solve the problem because lots of folks work weekends. For that matter, my suggestion isn't terrific because lots of folks don't get holidays off, either.

Voting should be protected - and compulsory - like jury duty, such that employers MUST provide adequate time away from work to vote.

Compulsory voting denies people the opportunity to declare "Neither is worthy of my vote."

 

[AvgGuyIA]

Before making voting compulsory, let's try making Election Day a federal holiday and see how that affects voter turnout.

Another dumb idea like early voting.

Why do you think early voting is a dumb idea? A dumb idea is having just one day for millions to cast votes.

It dumb because it gives the cheaters (read: democrats) extra days to vote multiple times. There is plenty of time to vote and it doesn't take up much space to fill out a ballot, so you can pack many voters in a room.

 

[AvgGuyIA]

Stupid, uniformed people shouldn't vote. Period.

Sorry, but that's a stupid statement.

Who would determine this standard? I'm guessing that I might consider YOU to be stupid and uninformed, and vice versa, even though I know I'm not and you likely believe the same about yourself.

EVERYONE should have the opportunity to vote. Weekend voting won't solve the problem because lots of folks work weekends. For that matter, my suggestion isn't terrific because lots of folks don't get holidays off, either.

Voting should be protected - and compulsory - like jury duty, such that employers MUST provide adequate time away from work to vote.

Considering how fucked up this country is becoming and because liberals are the cause of it, we should return to allowing only white male landowners the right to vote.