Definitely no fine for not voting. Personally, I don't really care to have people vote who don't know and don't care to know anything about politics. I don't want some ignorant jackass getting to the polls and picking the person that looks pretty or that they hear the name of most often.

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Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.
-Dr. Carl Sagan

I don't think people who don't care to vote should be encouraged, at least not in this way.
It would be nice to get them more involved... but getting involved and interested should be the reason they decide to vote, not economic sanctions.
The apathetic will not become more involved with such a policy, just angrier.

I'd prefer to help people get out to vote who just have problems getting to the polls than people who don't want to. Fines would simply double-penalize these folks!

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"Man lives in the sunlit world of that which he believes to be reality. But unseen by most is an underworld, a place that is just as real... but not as brightly lit... A DARK SIDE!"
-opening from Tales From the Darkside

I liked the idea of a $$$ lotto for anyone who votes.


...Only because I'm pretty sure I'd win the pot.

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"When I'm in command, every mission is a suicide mission!" -Capt. Zapp Branigan
The United Church of the Latter Day Tangential Tarts

We could educate people on the importance of concern for the country they are part of and the other people within it. Maybe exposure and institutionalized education naturally produces this concern, though, so maybe further education is unneeded?

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Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.
-Dr. Carl Sagan

I literally win every contest I enter, for some really, really odd reason. I think I'd win :)

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Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.
-Dr. Carl Sagan

We should require all to vote. And we should only have one box for them to check - that will make the problem of educating the masses moot. If the government takes over all media then our message can be made consistent and incessant. Punishment for not voting must be swift and severe.

At the end of the day we can brag about our high turnout rates and how 99% of our people voted for our candidate so this will clearly demonstrate how the people are clearly behind our politician and system. We can then have Jimmy Carter verify the veracity of our process.

Some of you are acting like the people who do vote because they want to aren't the overwhelmingly uninformed crowd that they actually are. Most people vote for their party candidate every time and don't know a thing about the candidate. Anyways, this was just an idea because I am aware that other countries that impose fines. A friend of mine never votes because she doesn't care who gets elected and doesn't complain about who the president is and I think that's a great reason not to. Of course most Americans who don't vote turn around and complain about who the president is.

a) There are fines for all sorts of things. Like littering. Or women may be fined for falling asleep under a hair dryer, as can the salon owner in Florida.
b) No for mentally retarded or invalid and absentee voting is available for people out of the country.

One would be a law that you don't have to follow and one was a greed based tactic to get people to vote. Not a very close analogy.

No.

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"We consider this our duty - to defend humanity against the scourge of intolerance, violence, and fanaticism." -Ahmed Shah Massoud
Ahmed Shah Massoud T-Shirt

I say no vehemently. In fact it's my belief that far too many people are voting as it is. If I were king there would be barriers to prevent those from voting who don't have the slightest idea what they're voting for. The presidential election isn't meant to be a popularity contest.

I take that back. If I were king you'd only be allowed to vote for your local representative, they'd have very short terms and would appoint a president. This would take the focus back down to the local level and force people to consider more accutely whom they choose as representatives since they're the group that has the most influence on their particular district.

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