Compulsory voting is a good thing.

In Australia having your name crossed off the roll on election days is compulsory. Federal, State and local government. This can equate to compulsory voting.
I believe that this encourages interest in government and the elected members of our government. Left to their own devices, many voters would not vote therefore there is a fine of Au $180 for not voting in either of those elections.
Unless there has been gerrymandering or boundary rigging, everyone has a say in the makeup of the government, and can feel righteous about having carried out their responsibility to society.
Someone I know has his name crossed off the list, collects his ballot and straightaway puts it into the ballot box. No one remarks on this, because his vote is his affair. His unvote is regarded as informal and set aside.
Thoughts?

 

I don't like it. If the gov't does not have a court issued warrant for me, . . . .
how can they require me to show up and have my name crossed off their list.
Not showing up to Vote is a Liberty. A Freedom. denied in O.Z.Land.

Moi

 

The result has been Australia increasingly swinging to the far left.

Anyone so lazy they have to be forced to vote is someone too lazy to give thought beyond what is in it immediately for the person. That already too much is a problem in the USA.

To the contrary, I would prefer a simple test a person must pass with at least a 70% score - very simple questions such as what is the name of the current Vice President, name 1 of your 2 state US Senators, who did the USA fight in the American Revolutionary War, and how much is 5 x 7?

If a person is so uninformed and ignorant they can not answer even the most simplistic questions the person is too uninformed and ignorant to be allowed to vote.

I don't know about Australia, but millions of Americans could not answer even one of those questions.

 

I morons don't want to vote they should not be forced to.

 

Republicans would never let this happen because they know most Americans don't approve of their ideas and they'd never win another presidential election.

 

We've had compulsory voting for 100 years. No one could call tony Abbott or john Howard far left, sorry.

 

I see it as a right and a responsibility. Many places would love to have a vote and to have a say in their choice of govt. I'm not talking about places where there is one name on the ballot paper, or someone supervising your choice on the ballot paper.

 

If they can't bestir themselves to be interested in the management of their country then they must be happy to shell out Au$180.

 

I'm afraid you are probably right.

 

The right to vote cannot be denied for purely arbitrary reasons.

 

For me it's a citizen's duty to turn up and vote. Okay, if they want to write rude words or draw a picture of a penis or use a blank piece of paper fine, their choice (morons) but if people know they are required to turn up then I would think most would take it seriously and have a bit of a think about it. Importantly though we have preferential voting at the federal level and mostly at the state/territory level (Hare-Clark in Tasmania and the ACT) so it sort of works out.

 

Agree. A bit of prodding is often required. If you live in a society and partake of its benefits then you can fulfil the responsibilities also.

 

Oh sure, let's make someone do something they don't want to do. I'm sure that they will make a thoughtful and informed decision, and not just randomly check boxes.

 

That's piss poor logic. If that were true then more people would be voting Democrat. Reality is closer to most Americans not approving of either party, and thinking it is not worth voting third party, so why vote at all?

 

If it is a right, part of that right is the right not to use it.

 

There will always be a proportion of nits who will do an informal vote.

Last September's total rate of informal votes - 5.91 per cent for the House of Representatives - was the largest in Australia since 1984.

 

I'm against compulsory voting. But I would like to see None of the above included on the ballot. Especially in the two party system we have in the U.S. The two parties have a monopoly on our election system even though those who affiliate with the two major parties are 30% Democratic and 27% Republicans with independents or the non-affiliated at 42%.

America does need a third choice between the two major party candidates. None of the above would accomplish that. Republicans and Democrats write our election laws and they do so as a mutual protection act. They make it virtually impossible for a viable third party to rise. None of above would give voters who disliked both major party candidates an option to voice their opposition. That might help drive up voter participation.

I do think if None of the Above was on the ballot in 2016, it would have won. If one equates unfavorable views of the public to dislike, 62% of all Americans disliked one candidate, 60% the other. With no other option but to hold one's nose and vote for the least hated candidate or the lesser of two evils, a lot of people just stay home. Would some of those get off their butts and vote none of the above? Who knows? I think it is worth a try.

Here an American citizen has the right to vote, an American citizen also has the right to exercise that vote or not. That is the way it should be. It's called individual choice. One can choose between the candidates or one can choose to not vote at all.

 

It is easy to get around compulsory voting though; you could for example cast a blank ballot or just write your own name on it. Or you could just try to make the vote invalid by, I don't know, tearing the ballot into pieces before putting it into the box.

Compulsory voting is a dumb- and rather undemocratic idea that serves no real purpose and fining people for not voting is absolutely ridiculous.

 

Voting is the RESPONSIBILITY of each and every citizen!

Yes, you have the right to ABSTAIN so we agree that None of the Above must always be a choice on every ballot but to abdicate your duty to vote is the height of IRRESPONSIBILITY!

That our forebears fought and died for this right to vote means that we are disrespecting them by not voting even if only to abstain.

The two party system encourages apathy because it works for them. With a requirement to vote and the ability to get on the ballot by just paying a modest fee there would be a much greater likelihood of there being at least one and possibly several alternative parties.

It is because this nation needs more diverse voices standing up and speaking out We the People should embrace the RESPONSIBILITY to vote by making it compulsory.

Who knows, we might even have a viable Libertarian Party with elected Representatives in Congress if we held everyone responsible for voting.

 

Last Presidential election had both a Green and a Libertarian candidate. Did you reject them or not realize they were there?

 

Ah, it's the non voters who are at fault. They have the audacity not to exercise their "patriotic duty" to vote for the lesser of 2 unqualified evils chosen for them by 2 exclusive parties who serve the same master(s).

 

1) Do you have gun control?

2) If you don't like the political offerings, why do you have to vote for someone you don't like?

3) What would happen if you refused to vote and staged a massive protest?

4) In your country, do you have a document that guarantees unalienable Rights by way of a Bill of Rights?

I think maybe some people have different interpretations about what constitutes the left and the right, don't you?

 

While we are discussing this, Trump is trying to get lists of voters:

http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/03/polit...voter-fraud-commission-information/index.html

While states are refusing, a lot of people are taking the next obvious step: cancelling their voter registration. If a dictator comes into power and wants to punish his opposition, what better way to ferret them out than to identify those who voted against him?

 

If "most Americans" thought that explain a Republican in the White House now?
Republicans would never let this happen because it's fascist thing to do. Almost or as bad as forcing Americans to buy something they don't want to buy, ACA ring a bell?

 

I received election material from all the parties this past election, someone gave them my voter registration info, why is this any different? All they are looking at is voter fraud. Rooting out voter fraud is a good thing right? I don't care where the fraud is coming from I want it stopped, don't you?