compulsory voting for national elections

[Total Head]

should voting be mandatory? some countries have it, most don't. some people say that forcing everyone to vote waters down the results by having uniformed and indifferent people willy nilly ticking a box just to fulfill some chore of an obligation. others say that optional voting is less representative of the general population and only reflects the wishes of those that bothered to show up (or were able to show up), and causes extreme pandering to a particular political base and less moderate policies overall.

 

[medicineman]

Voting is a right in a democracy, and should be available to any and all citizens of voting age. It should be made easy for all citizens to cast their ballot with no restrictions other than the fact they registered to vote. That requirement ensures they are of age and a citizen, that is all they need

 

[BigNBushy]

Too many people vote. There should be an IQ test and you should have to pay into the tax system to vote. I would be ineligible to vote under what I think ought to be the law because I take food stamps.

 

[abandonconflict]

There are some hoops for write in candidates to jump through. As a result of this, it was not possible for me to vote for Jill Stein in 2012 in North Carolina, where I am reg'd and own property. I therefore did not vote. There is a common perception that in any state, anyone can write in any name and this is simply false, and actually in most cases this is a wasted ballot.

 

[GOD HERE]

There are some hoops for write in candidates to jump through. As a result of this, it was not possible for me to vote for Jill Stein in 2012 in North Carolina, where I am reg'd and own property. I therefore did not vote. There is a common perception that in any state, anyone can write in any name and this is simply false, and actually in most cases this is a wasted ballot.

I didn't have a problem voting for her in California

 

[abandonconflict]

I didn't have a problem voting for her in California

Then your vote was wasted on someone who could not receive votes in several states, severely handicapping her in an already staged election.

Meh, you still made a good choice...

 

[GOD HERE]

Then your vote was wasted on someone who could not receive votes in several states, severely handicapping her in an already staged election.

Meh, you still made a good choice...

Who the fuck else was I going to vote for? Roseanne Barr?

 

[SHOTGUN420]

Be forced to what vote from 2 choices of the same lot? Don't get me wrong I vote but only for people I think are worthy of my vote and they are slim to none.

 

[abandonconflict]

Who the fuck else was I going to vote for? Roseanne Barr?

Barr 2016!

 

[echelon1k1]

Huge supporter of compulsory voting - I feel the US could learn a thing or two from Australia on the matter...

 

[kpmarine]

Huge supporter of compulsory voting - I feel the US could learn a thing or two from Australia on the matter...

Why do you feel it is a good thing? It seems that a right that is no longer optional ceases to be a right. With our fucked up write-in rules I've often been left without a candidate I find worthy of voting for.

 

[abandonconflict]

Why do you feel it is a good thing? It seems that a right that is no longer optional ceases to be a right. With our fucked up write-in rules I've often been left without a candidate I find worthy of voting for.

Because in his country, politicians don't throw hundreds of millions into smear campaigns.

 

[echelon1k1]

Why do you feel it is a good thing? It seems that a right that is no longer optional ceases to be a right. With our fucked up write-in rules I've often been left without a candidate I find worthy of voting for.

Because it should be viewed as a responsibility not just a right. Your current voting participation caters to an abundance of "hardcore partisans" that should really be a dying breed, while moderates and independents go for the most part, ignored.

I also think it would force Americans to take a closer look at a politicians voting record & his/her policies to understand what they were actually voting for and to think through the implications of potential policies both domestically and internationally.

This could potentially solve voter turn out issues and provide a real glimpse into US voting minus all the skew and bs...

 

[kpmarine]

Because it should be viewed as a responsibility not just a right. Your current voting participation caters to an abundance of "hardcore partisans" that should really be a dying breed, while moderates and independents go for the most part, ignored.

I also think it would force Americans to take a closer look at a politicians voting record & his/her policies to understand what they were actually voting for and to think through the implications of potential policies both domestically and internationally.

This could potentially solve voter turn out issues and provide a real glimpse into US voting minus all the skew and bs...

Maybe with alot of reforms to how write in candidates work. The fact is that "abstain" is a perfectly reasonable position. Even our congress members are allowed to abstain from voting. Requiring someone to vote does not automatically make an informed or interested voter; it can also makes a voter that fills in the bubbles so they can get the hell out. While I can respect your desire to get people more politically involved, the ends don't always justify the means.

 

[echelon1k1]

Maybe with alot of reforms to how write in candidates work. The fact is that "abstain" is a perfectly reasonable position. Even our congress members are allowed to abstain from voting. Requiring someone to vote does not automatically make an informed or interested voter; it can also makes a voter that fills in the bubbles so they can get the hell out. While I can respect your desire to get people more politically involved, the ends don't always justify the means.

While I support a provision for an "abstain" vote too, compulsory voting has worked very well for us since 1924...

 

[Red1966]

Because it should be viewed as a responsibility not just a right. Your current voting participation caters to an abundance of "hardcore partisans" that should really be a dying breed, while moderates and independents go for the most part, ignored. I also think it would force Americans to take a closer look at a politicians voting record & his/her policies to understand what they were actually voting for and to think through the implications of potential policies both domestically and internationally. This could potentially solve voter turn out issues and provide a real glimpse into US voting minus all the skew and bs...

I'm not seeing how compulsory voting would accomplish this. Currently, politicians take the "hardcore partisans" vote for granted, they cater to the middle. Well, during the campaign they do, after the election, screw em all.

 

[kpmarine]

While I support a provision for an "abstain" vote too, compulsory voting has worked very well for us since 1924...

In what way has it worked? I'm sure it's gotten more people in the voting booth. But more people voting does not guarantee that your democracy works any better.

 

[cannabineer]

Many of the people who do not vote select themselves out for a reason. I just sneezed something that sounds like "fnshggy" ... cn

 

[kpmarine]

Many of the people who do not vote select themselves out for a reason. I just sneezed something that sounds like "fnshggy" ... cn

I see the bear is engaging in some unusually specific criticism this evening.

 

[echelon1k1]

In what way has it worked? I'm sure it's gotten more people in the voting booth. But more people voting does not guarantee that your democracy works any better.

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/11/07/should-voting-in-the-us-be-mandatory-14/what-weve-seen-in-australia-with-mandatory-voting

The most decisive means for arresting turnout decline and closing the socioeconomic voting gap is mandatory voting: in fact, it is the only mechanism that can push turnout anywhere near 95 percent. 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. Here in Australia, where we love freedom as much as anyone else, we have a mandatory voting regime that is well managed, corruption-free, easy to access, cheap to run and has an approval rating of more than 70 percent.