OT: Mandatory Voting

[dogscoff]

I think ppl should have the right not to vote. It says a lot about the our country that so many ppl just don't bother. I for one find it increasingly hard to care, since not matter who anyone votes for, you just get another politician elected.

That said, there should be a law that says that if you don't vote, you have no right to complain about anything political=-)

Making voting day a national holiday is a great idea, and would certainly do a lot to boost the turnout. And I'd get an extra day off work=-)

Governments also need to look at secure and accountable ways to implement things like internet voting- hell, even text-message voting if that what it takes to get people interested.

[Fyron]

I have seen footage of voting in America and can't understand why it is more complicated than necessary ie. Why use a machine that can cause an error when anyone can simply write on their ballot?.

Because it is easier and more cost efficient to have a machine read the punch card ballots than to hire people to read each individual ballot.

[Abdiel]

Originally posted by dogscoff:

That said, there should be a law that says that if you don't vote, you have no right to complain about anything political=-)

My initial sentiments. But then, how can you take away a right of a person because he exercised another right?

Abd.

[Randallw]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:

quote:

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I have seen footage of voting in America and can't understand why it is more complicated than necessary ie. Why use a machine that can cause an error when anyone can simply write on their ballot?.

Because it is easier and more cost efficient to have a machine read the punch card ballots than to hire people to read each individual ballot.

---

I am beginning to realise what you mean. I was working from all the footage I saw of people looking at each ballot and seeing which "chad" (is that the word?) was half punched. I can see that was only because of the dispute over half punched ballots. If a machine reads the ballots does that mean all the forms are the same?. As I mentioned before in Australia all the Ballots are not set up similar.

[Paul1980au]

The australian voting system is much more diverse in the US you have republican, democrat and independant occasionally - in australia yuo have upwards of 20-30 candidates in the senate and 3-10 in the house of reps. I guess the US needs to do much more as we dont even know if george W Bush is in fact the true president of the US

[Grandpa Kim]

Originally posted by dogscoff:
That said, there should be a law that says that if you don't vote, you have no right to complain about anything political=-)

...Then please add "none of the above" to the ballot!

If I am forced to vote for someone who's views I don't support simply because the others are worse, in order to gain the right to complain, why not just go whole hog and have the "one party" system.

Maybe I should run myself. At least then I can vote for someone who shares my views... I hope.

Truthfully, I believe there is a lot less apathy out there then generally believed. Many of us simply don't believe the politicians.

[Fyron]

If a machine reads the ballots does that mean all the forms are the same?. As I mentioned before in Australia all the Ballots are not set up similar.

Yes, the ballots are all the same. However, that does not matter. All you need is barcode formatting along one edge to tell the machine how the specific ballot is formatted. They do this for multiple choice tests on "scantron" forms, read by machines, now, with multiple Versions of the test as an anti-cheating measure. It would certainly work for ballots.

I guess the US needs to do much more as we dont even know if george W Bush is in fact the true president of the US

It is a well established fact. Al Gore conceded the election almost 4 years ago. There is absolutely no doubt possible that George W. Bush is the current President of the USA.

[ June 30, 2004, 04:11: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]