Should we make voting mandatory?
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  Should we make voting mandatory?
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Author Topic: Should we make voting mandatory?  (Read 3831 times)
BaconBacon96
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« Reply #25 on: November 07, 2014, 04:46:42 PM »

NO.

It makes voting a chore, not a choice and instead what you get is people donkey voting, voting for retarded candidates because they're the most entertaining and more and more detrimental populist campaigning. I tell you, compulsory voting does not make voters more informed. Instead, all the uninformed people are voting as well. The politicians are trying to be everything to everyone and it does not make for good politics.

Unlike current elections where only informed people vote Roll Eyes
Well obviously that's not the case but those who are voting generally would be somewhat more informed than the non-voting population.
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Sprouts Farmers Market ✘
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« Reply #26 on: November 07, 2014, 05:44:49 PM »

I should add that Yes we should probably have national ID to prevent voter disenfranchisement as well as a national holiday on Election Day. I hope the GOP doesn't shut Bernie Sanders down there even though it's a bit awkward for him to bring it up now after the shellacking.
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Harry
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« Reply #27 on: November 07, 2014, 07:02:51 PM »

Perhaps, provided that ballots can be cast via mail or securely online.

Online would be the way to go if we can come up with a system to verify the person voting is the person they claim to be. Then we wouldn't need polling places with opening or closing times. People could just vote with their phones or computers from wherever they are, maybe in a 2-day window or something. People who don't have a computer or phone could have the choice of going to some kind of voting center or library, or they could just borrow a neighbor or coworker's phone for a second.
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KCDem
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« Reply #28 on: November 07, 2014, 07:24:30 PM »

Perhaps, provided that ballots can be cast via mail or securely online.

Online would be the way to go if we can come up with a system to verify the person voting is the person they claim to be. Then we wouldn't need polling places with opening or closing times. People could just vote with their phones or computers from wherever they are, maybe in a 2-day window or something. People who don't have a computer or phone could have the choice of going to some kind of voting center or library, or they could just borrow a neighbor or coworker's phone for a second.

Voting online will be hacked immediately. No, do nationwide VBM and automatic voter registration when a person turns 18. Also, national IDs.
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Recalcuate
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« Reply #29 on: November 07, 2014, 07:49:10 PM »

I believe Australia actually does this, so it's not just some crazy crackpot idea.

There would never again be an issue with "turnout."

Absolutely not. I have a right to vote or not vote. My choice.
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Illuminati Blood Drinker
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« Reply #30 on: November 07, 2014, 08:23:26 PM »

In theory it would be a good idea, but it doesn't solve the main problem with low turnout (voter enthusiasm/nonenthusiasm) and I could totally see asshole Republicans suppressing the vote and then jailing the suppressed to keep them from voting for a while, so count me as Lean No.
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Bandit3 the Worker
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« Reply #31 on: November 07, 2014, 08:23:47 PM »

Is there any chance that a state might make voting mandatory?
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KingSweden
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« Reply #32 on: November 07, 2014, 08:27:18 PM »

Is there any chance that a state might make voting mandatory?

Probably not. An opt-out versus opt-in voting registration system would be the best middle-road to take, with VBM included of course. Everyone gets a ballot when you turn 18, unless you specifically ask not to be registered to vote.
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Ebowed
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« Reply #33 on: November 07, 2014, 08:36:24 PM »

Compulsory voting is fantastic.  Note that it doesn't necessarily produce results beneficial to the left (see Australia's federal election last year - total disaster), but when you live in a place where pretty much everybody votes, you sort of can't see how it would be a controversial idea at all.  And it certainly isn't one in Australia.

It is regretful to me that in a country where so many people are continuously denied the right to vote due to lack of an accepted ID or because of a prior criminal history, re-enforced by a strong history of voter suppression, people would go on and on about the sacred right to 'not vote.'
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Harry
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« Reply #34 on: November 07, 2014, 09:04:28 PM »

I believe Australia actually does this, so it's not just some crazy crackpot idea.

There would never again be an issue with "turnout."

Absolutely not. I have a right to vote or not vote. My choice.

You could always turn in a blank ballot, or a "none of the above" option if we made that mandatory, but I think it would be preferable if everyone had to at least turn in a ballot.

Wouldn't it be more satisfying anyway if you were trying to make a statement by not voting to turn in a blank ballot? This way your "vote" would be included in the count and someone would see your statement.
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Harry
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« Reply #35 on: November 07, 2014, 09:05:31 PM »

Note that it doesn't necessarily produce results beneficial to the left

That's a good thing. I'm not trying to tip any elections here. I just think it would be good for a country it actually took a majority to win.
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Ebowed
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« Reply #36 on: November 07, 2014, 09:11:13 PM »

Note that it doesn't necessarily produce results beneficial to the left

That's a good thing. I'm not trying to tip any elections here. I just think it would be good for a country it actually took a majority to win.

I agree, too.  I only say that in case anyone might have assumed otherwise.
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Bandit3 the Worker
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« Reply #37 on: November 07, 2014, 09:15:56 PM »

I also think unopposed candidates should be required to run a write-in campaign. I'm tired of being told who to vote for. It's like Soviet Russia.

Either that, or unopposed candidates should be required to put "Moscow" before their name.
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Marokai Backbeat
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« Reply #38 on: November 07, 2014, 09:17:16 PM »

Absolutely. I've supported that for ages and ages; though it hasn't a prayer of passing. The best we can probably hope for in this country is automatic registration in particular states along with vote-by-mail. Which would still be a dramatic step forward from what we have, I suppose.
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Associate Justice PiT
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« Reply #39 on: November 07, 2014, 09:38:13 PM »

     Sure. Republicans could then run on abolishing mandatory voting and gain vetoproof majorities in both houses of Congress. Evil
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politicus
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« Reply #40 on: November 07, 2014, 10:23:24 PM »

Checked Wiki:

Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cyprus, Ecuador, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Nauru, Peru, Singapore and Uruguay have and enforce compulsory voting.

Argentina, Peru and Brazil excludes seniors 70+ and I think that is fair due to health and the "I am no going to be around much longer, why should I care?" factor.

Georgia actually had compulsory voting 1777-1789, would have been interesting if they had kept it.



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Clarko95 📚💰📈
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« Reply #41 on: November 07, 2014, 10:28:20 PM »

No, we should not. Instead the parties should be forced to work and give people reason to actually turnout and vote for them, not just pull the lever for the lesser of the two evils because they'll be fined/imprisoned otherwise.
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Fmr President & Senator Polnut
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« Reply #42 on: November 07, 2014, 11:12:21 PM »

Plus it saves s***loads of money not being wasted in GOTV.
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SteveRogers
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« Reply #43 on: November 07, 2014, 11:16:42 PM »

Nah. Choosing not to go vote is a legitimate expression of preference.
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« Reply #44 on: November 07, 2014, 11:26:20 PM »

I believe Australia actually does this, so it's not just some crazy crackpot idea.

non sequitur
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Frodo
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« Reply #45 on: November 08, 2014, 12:08:47 AM »

No, we should not. Instead the parties should be forced to work and give people reason to actually turnout and vote for them, not just pull the lever for the lesser of the two evils because they'll be fined/imprisoned otherwise.

^^^^^^^^

This -the freedom to vote goes hand-in-hand with the freedom not to vote, though the precedent here has already been set with mandating people to buy health insurance or face an escalating fine.  If the Supreme Court can sanction that, what's to prevent it from going along with mandating people to vote? 
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RR1997
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« Reply #46 on: November 08, 2014, 11:09:54 AM »

No (normal freedom lover)
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politicallefty
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« Reply #47 on: November 08, 2014, 12:38:35 PM »

I don't think that would work well in this country, but I would support automatic voter registration and having ballots automatically mailed to all registered voters.

States with full Democratic control should be pushing hard for expanded voting rights in contravention to the Republicans and their voter-suppression tactics.
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Landslide Lyndon
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« Reply #48 on: November 08, 2014, 01:15:43 PM »

I don't think that would work well in this country, but I would support automatic voter registration and having ballots automatically mailed to all registered voters.

States with full Democratic control should be pushing hard for expanded voting rights in contravention to the Republicans and their voter-suppression tactics.

This. Mandatory voting was for years in our books and nobody remembers anyone getting punished for not voting. It's an unenforceable law.
But automatic registration of every person that reaches adulthood, that's a no-brainer IMHO and it could save a lot of money and time for both voters and states.
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Tender Branson
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« Reply #49 on: November 08, 2014, 01:27:08 PM »

Austria had mandatory voting in Presidential Elections from the 1920s to the early 1980s.

Turnout was above 90% in all of these elections (97% after WW2 and down to 92% in the early 1980s), but dropped significantly after mandatory voting was scrapped.

The [theoretical] fine for not voting was 1000 Schilling (inflation-adjusted ca. 100-120€ now or some 150$).

But no non-voter ever had to pay a fine, because all Presidents who were elected decided to put out an amnesty for non-voters as soon as they entered office.

That of course did not mean that all newly elected Presidents would do this, so people were still heading to the polls to avoid an eventual fee ... Wink
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