Category: Let's talk
While I was in the UK I was quite surprised that voting isn't actually compulsarry there.
Voting is compulsarry here in Australia and i really believe that's how it should be. In this country people are fined 50 dollars if they don't vote.
Compulsarry voting means that you have a result that is more representative of the population and it also means that more people are encouraged to take an active role in their country's future.
However, i'm highly intreagued as to how other countries don't have the same system in place.
It seems while other countries want their citizens to believe they live in a democracy, they would like to discourage them from voting as much as possible.
What do you all think?
Ah but what about those who no longer believe, in or can see through the empty promises and corruption of the government. By forcing these people to vote you have ignored an infringment of their human rights.
Plus compulsory voting flies in the face of democracy it's a form of dictatorship and the british goverment is becoming more authoritarian by the day.
In Cyprus is actualy compulsarry but it doesn't mean that everyone votes. A lot of people just go and throw a blank thing i don't know what is called the paper with the people we vote. In Cyprus they put a cross on the person or party they want but in Cyprus when people don't want to vote just don't feel them they just throw them in the box blank so in my opinion if it is compalsarry or not it's still the same thing and i also agree with Goblin. Democrasy actualy means that people should be free to do what they want. If they want to vote that's good but if they don't it's their choice.
By the way if somebody could tell me what is called this paper with the votes it would be appreshiated. I will learn a new word.
Nikos
Its called a Ballot paper or voting slip
I think in most cases the paper is called a ballat paper.
ok, perhaps voting isn't necessary needing to be compulsarry, but i also think there's not enough emphasis in schools about how to vote and what the vote means, perhaps if people new what some people went through to gain the vote they might be more inclined to take an interest?
True but you still come up against the corruption right now there are 3 scandals involving the labour party, and I doubt that the voters of tomorrow, will feel confident when faced with the choice after all it could decide their future.
in my opinion voting should be compulsary. Right now we have a government voted in by a minority. You'll never get rid of coruption totally, but if we were made to vote, more people might care about the people we vote for, and why we do it. Also I hate the way so many people complain yet they didn't vote, if you don't take your democratic right and vote, don't bother moaning about it.
The thing is that everyone sounds so nice before the election. After they become part of the goverment they don't do what they said they would do. That's what happens in Cyprus anyway they are all the same. And thanks for telling me what this paper is called.
No problem. Politicians lack the one quality vital to serve their country integrity. The Scottish comedian ect Billy Connolly, said the desire to become a politician should prevent you from ever becoming one.
that's true, the one thing i can't stand is people who don't vote and complain about the situation...put up or shut up!
Eh well I'm thinking of abstaining.Nevertheless I do agree it would be more productive if all the disgruntled abstainers took some affirmative action.
surely if more people cared about the vote it may encourage more worthwhile people to go into politics.
Yep. I think democracy should be compulsory. Not all pr oblems can be solved there but tat least cruel dictatures can be avoided.
I believe that voting should be made compulsory, if you don't vote you can't complain about the government who are in power because you didn't do your bit to prevent them from coming to power. however, I think that if voting was made compulsory there should be an option to vote for "none of the above".
50 dollars to vote, I can see people just voting in order to avoid the fine and writing any old name down. Or just picking at randum. So what perpose have you served? everyones voting or paying the fine and still you have people who either avoid it or do it and don't give a shit.
I think compulsarry voting insures that everyone is made to participate in the world of politics, you wouldn't believe how many young people couldn't be bothered voting simply because they don't understand how.
i agree with harpsichord, there could be an option to obstaine from voting, but at least they have had there chance and they can't complain about it.
i think since the majority of our population are ieth poor or low income or working class the fine stops them from obstaining...but can you imagine what it wuold be like if we didn't have it?
young people would become lazy and since they have never voted, they wouldn't be bothered to do so in the future, because they wouldn't understand what it means.
If all the poorer people became lazy, then it would be the rich people who voted, and that's not a true representation.
I think that in order to vote at all, you should have a good understanding of the policies of all of the parties who have put forward candidates. Otherwise, how can you possibly make an informed decision which could affect millions of people?
true, but how can we insure that all people have an informed decision, even the people that vote often don't have that.
Democracy shouldn't be compulsary because that takes away a major part of the country being a democracy. However, I think more steps should be taken to make it easier to vote, like having that day off of work, more free media for candidates at all levels, etc. The reality is that most people don't make an informed decision when they vote, its more out of habit, they vote the party line. Everyone else votes based on God knows what. If it was based on an informed decision, there's no chance in hell Bush would be in the White House today. As for those who say if you don't vote, you can't complain, I think that's totally wrong and it depends on what level you're talking about. For all intents and purposes, the 2004 presidential election came down to only 2 or 3 states (namely Ohio and Florida). For the rest of us, our votes are just a drop in a very large bucket. I do think abolishing the antiquidated Electoral College would only help to get more people to vote as they feel they really have a say in things.
The day off idea sounds good or they could do what happens in Cyprus and maybe some other countries where the elections always happen on a Sunday when people don't work or most of them anyway. Also something i don't like about elections is the fact that blind people can't vote indipendently. I don't know about other countries but in Cyprus i will have to go with somebody i trast and tell them what i want to vote.
when i go to vote i always get one of the volunteers to help me vote, and i fill in every box so it makes it harder for them to cheat me out of my vote. I'd like to see ways brought into place to insure that we can vote on our own because then i'd feel safe in the fact that i know my vote was truely mine.
I think some kind of compulsarry class in school that taught the meaning of what the vote was for and how to make your vote count would really encourage more young people to take an interest.
Galileo I feel certain that more people would vote if they thought they had a hope in hell of making a difference, and I'm not at all convinced that there are any decent polticians.
I agree that there should be a class on voting, it should be as early as during the junior or senior year of high school, since the voting age is 18. We have Government, Economics, and U.S. History classes, but I don't remember learning anything about what was going on currently with our politicians and government at that time. I was happy when I could get to vote though, because my family would talk about the people running, and I would try to pay some attention to information about them. But others don't think about it or just don't want to worry about it at all. Although the day off thing sounds good, I would wonder how many people would actually go vote. Voting places are almost everywhere anyways, so if people really wanted to vote, they could make time for it. Also, I don't know if there are things like bulletins that places put up encouraging people to vote, or if they just announce it on TV, but maybe the bulletins might help since some people don't watch TV.
Also, when I vote, I have to have someone read my choices to me, even though they have the accessible machines there. The people at the voting stations usually don't even know how to work them, or the machines don't work for whatever reasons. Although it's good that the people are willing to read me the paper, it can be an unpleasant experience. Not only do you not have your privacy to read thru and vote for who you want independently, it can be how the person reads it. I had one time where the person helping me was reading it out loud, maybe not loud enough for everyone to hear, but louder thand he needed to. Usually though, I have my mom help me fill the paper out, but I'd still like to use one of those machines to read and vote for myself.
i'd never have one of my family members or friends fill in how i vote, simply because i believe it can be a cause for friction between them, in the end it should be a private decision. and agreed on the classes, perhaps it could be something that is taught in history.
I agree Goblin. Most people don't think it makes a big difference. Also I agree with Wayne. There are people who just turn 18 and have no clue about the policy because they just don't care. How on earth could they vote without saying "Oh i just vote a party whose name sounds good to me". Then, it#s better that they let it be.
Voter apathy is rife here and I fear the predicted change in government is not going to help.
This topic has been a real education for me. I never even thought of voting being compulsotory. When I turned twenty-one--the voting age then--I was proud to cast my vote, even though I knew none of my candidates would win.
I kind of like the idea of compulsory voting, especially if each slot had a choice for "none of the above", it would tell the politicians what we think of what they are doing. I'd vote it every time.
Bob
i love the fact that voting is compulsarry in my country, simply because it means that politics take more of a place on our front page news and the news shows presents more stories agbout politics.
So those who would abstain are being forced against their will to fill in a ballot paper..hmm I thought Australia was a democratic country..I can imagine that this law really riles the aboriginies, the audacity of the Aussie goverment ... in denying these people their basic human rights its disgusting.
Sounds like you just need more news papers and cable channels and radio talk shows, less than half the people vote in this country and you can find all the news about politics you could ever want.
specially with the net. if the dems and pubs put 2 useless canadates up in 08 here I might not vote, that or write in mickey mouse.
I see nothing wrong with filling out a form that says "I don't vote for anyone." There are all kinds of laws in democracies. Democracy is not anarchy. In a democracy we are allowed to pick the people who make the laws.
Bob I agree but can you see that becoming law britian is turning into a dictatorship.
Unfortunately, that's one of the problems with a democracy. I find it ironic that the U.S. is spreading democracy in Iraq but they don't like what happened in the elections in Palistine. I don't know about Britain, from what I'm reading about the people who did the bombings in London a couple of years ago, I think I'd better start paying attention. Goblin, there may be something in what you say.
people have the right not to vote, but that means they have the right to pay the fine that goes with not voting.
also, it's easy to make your vote not count, you don't even have to write on the paper, just chuck it in the box with the rest and you have voted.
That's true, as long as your name is attached to the paper when it goes in, you hve voted. Democracy does have its weaknesses, The Palestine issue is just one of them. The Fascists were democratically elected in Germany, and won a round in France a few years ago. Perhaps it'd be a good idea if in countries where there are more than two parties, to have a few rounds of voting. Then, if people don't vote and as a result some extremist wins a round of votes, then in the next round, all the sensible people are encouraged to come out and vote. It shouldn't be needed, but that system certainly worked when the far right won a round of votes in France a few years ago.
Bob It was revealed radio 4 last night, that the conservative party have suggested scrapping the human rights law! I ask you, what's next, hmm? Orwell's 1984 is very definitely a reality in britain. I agree the reaction of america towards the Palestinian election is dreadful..what they fail to grasp is the fact those people were left with no choice. Fatah were corrupt and inept, Hamas are a crowd of radical terrorists, where could they be expected to put their mark on the ballot paper. Galileo how can people on the breadline who have not seen their lives improve due to incessant lies from that parcel of rogues in Canberra, be expected to stump up for a fine, its ridiculous to force people to vote when they are fully aware that none of the politician ever intend to listen to a word they say..
the thing is that so many politicians are willing to listen, the minor parties in australia are very good at some of this...also, wayne, we don't put our name on the paper, just sign something before we are given it.