Should voting be mandatory?

[Salami]

Yes.
And the caveat...
No vote if you are sucking the govt teet or are a felon.

Really? What about this neat idea called representation. Felon or welfare recipient, if I'm a citizen of this nation under a representative democracy or republic...which ever you prefer. Then I am going to have the right to vote one way or another no matter what you high and mighty people seem to think.

You forget that everyone in this nation is a citizen and should have a citizen's rights. Even those you have a pet peeve problem with.

Yes, I have a caveat pertaining to mandatory voting as well. Before being allowed to vote, each and every person would be required to take and pass an intensive course pertaining to their constitutional rights and responsibilities as a citizen of this nation. Schools should include constitutional law as a required course for graduation. As much as we need STEM education in our schools, what good does it if we loose the nation in the process....something that we have almost already done.

 

[Zynni]

Really? What about this neat idea called representation. Felon or welfare recipient, if I'm a citizen of this nation under a representative democracy or republic...which ever you prefer. Then I am going to have the right to vote one way or another no matter what you high and mighty people seem to think.

You forget that everyone in this nation is a citizen and should have a citizen's rights. Even those you have a pet peeve problem with.

Yes, I have a caveat pertaining to mandatory voting as well. Before being allowed to vote, each and every person would be required to take and pass an intensive course pertaining to their constitutional rights and responsibilities as a citizen of this nation. Schools should include constitutional law as a required course for graduation. As much as we need STEM education in our schools, what good does it if we loose the nation in the process....something that we have almost already done.

I don't agree with making voting mandatory. The government needs less control over individuals, not more. Besides, I just don't see how it would solve any problems.

Nonetheless, I still like your last paragraph. My caveat is that anyone who wants to run for office has to take refreshers on these Constitutional courses as well. It should go without saying that they must also *pass* before throwing their hat into the ring.

 

[pwarbi]

Well the UK have voted for the next government with it looking like it being a conservative majority. Well, when I say the UK have voted, I should say that only just over half of the UK voted.

For an election like this one, I think that's a pretty pathetic turn out, and it just shows exactly how much the UK population cares about what party gets in to power.

Why do people not actually bother to vote? And even more so, do they have a right to comment on how the country is being run afterwards?

 

[pocketfullofshells]

Really? What about this neat idea called representation. Felon or welfare recipient, if I'm a citizen of this nation under a representative democracy or republic...which ever you prefer. Then I am going to have the right to vote one way or another no matter what you high and mighty people seem to think.

You forget that everyone in this nation is a citizen and should have a citizen's rights. Even those you have a pet peeve problem with.

Yes, I have a caveat pertaining to mandatory voting as well. Before being allowed to vote, each and every person would be required to take and pass an intensive course pertaining to their constitutional rights and responsibilities as a citizen of this nation. Schools should include constitutional law as a required course for graduation. As much as we need STEM education in our schools, what good does it if we loose the nation in the process....something that we have almost already done.

When you teach those rights, whose interpretation are you going to use?

 

[Zynni]

Well the UK have voted for the next government with it looking like it being a conservative majority. Well, when I say the UK have voted, I should say that only just over half of the UK voted.

For an election like this one, I think that's a pretty pathetic turn out, and it just shows exactly how much the UK population cares about what party gets in to power.

Why do people not actually bother to vote? And even more so, do they have a right to comment on how the country is being run afterwards?

I'm in the US, but I think no matter where you're from, people become jaded. They start to feel like their vote doesn't matter any more (like me). I won't bother to vote if there isn't a candidate worth voting for. I'm done choosing the "lesser of two evils." I can't even tell which one that is any more.

Yeah, I think they do have the right to comment on the state of things, even if they don't vote. I know I'll still keep talking whether I decide to vote or not. Give me someone worth voting for, and I'm there.

 

[BigRob]

I think to a large extent people become jaded because they do not participate in the process. Democracy is a big slow moving thing - nothing is going to happen quickly.

That aside - I think people that skip elections and do not vote ultimately wind up feeling more left out because if a campaign models you are unlikely to vote you are going to simply get ignored by the campaign - making you feel more and more left out of the process.

 

[pwarbi]

I do get where you're coming from, I just find it a bit annoying when your being asked who you voted for, and then told why you made a wrong decision etc...then find out the other person didn't even vote in the first place.

While I don't agree that voting should be mandatory, I do think that actually registering to vote probably should be.

 

[Zynni]

I think to a large extent people become jaded because they do not participate in the process. Democracy is a big slow moving thing - nothing is going to happen quickly.

That aside - I think people that skip elections and do not vote ultimately wind up feeling more left out because if a campaign models you are unlikely to vote you are going to simply get ignored by the campaign - making you feel more and more left out of the process.

I guess I see your point. Personally, I don't feel jaded due to feeling left out. I feel jaded because I'm tired of slick politicians. I want real people who actually have the country's best interest at heart. I guess that's a fantasy these days, though. It would be great, wouldn't it? This country needs true statesmen.

 

[tonya nelms]

I do not think that voting should be mandatory. I feel like you need to be interested in what is going on in the country before you get to make decisions. Some people are ridiculously ignorant these days. I do not want someone like that making the choice for something important like the president of our country!

 

[Salami]

When you teach those rights, whose interpretation are you going to use?

Whatever interpretation it is, its won't be a "secret" one written by someone in the justice department and considered classified because to explain it or make it public would be a threat to national security. Nope I don't think so.

What a silly question. We teach the common sense interpretation, you know the one that pretty much everyone can understand. We start getting into problems when we start listening to lawyers. Remember, if everyone understood the law then we would not need to pay lawyers so much money. They have no interest in seeing law in a simple and easy to understand manner. There is just no profit in it for them. You are way better off in insisting that the law be something that 5th graders can understand rather than making it something complex and esoteric.

 

[pocketfullofshells]

Whatever interpretation it is, its won't be a "secret" one written by someone in the justice department and considered classified because to explain it or make it public would be a threat to national security. Nope I don't think so.

What a silly question. We teach the common sense interpretation, you know the one that pretty much everyone can understand. We start getting into problems when we start listening to lawyers. Remember, if everyone understood the law then we would not need to pay lawyers so much money. They have no interest in seeing law in a simple and easy to understand manner. There is just no profit in it for them. You are way better off in insisting that the law be something that 5th graders can understand rather than making it something complex and esoteric.

ok so what does the 2nd Amendment mean...with no bias and that all would agree with.

 

[Centrehalf]

What do you think?

Obama has at least suggested that it should. It is mandatory in Australia. Should it be here? Your thoughts....

Voting should not be mandatory. Not voting is a valid form of political expression. Mandatory voting would limit political expression.

 

[Charles Franklin]

I think in theory that would make sense, but in reality it may not.

To be honest, I don't think our political system is ready yet for such a large voter turnout (sadly). Part of the political process depends on having ignorant and apathetic voters.

 

[pocketfullofshells]

I think in theory that would make sense, but in reality it may not.

To be honest, I don't think our political system is ready yet for such a large voter turnout (sadly). Part of the political process depends on having ignorant and apathetic voters.

its also geared to lower turnout as the more that turn up, the less chance republicans normally have. Thats why they do well in midterms then get smacked in Presidential years. The Party try to make it hard to vote, limit early voting, ban people from voting, make it hard to the legal voters to vote ( more so for poor, young, and minority of course) Democrats normaly want as open voting as possible to get the most people to vote...

That said if we did have it we would need to have a new system that had more then 2 parties to make it worth while and give real choices.

 

[Charles Franklin]

its also geared to lower turnout as the more that turn up, the less chance republicans normally have. Thats why they do well in midterms then get smacked in Presidential years. The Party try to make it hard to vote, limit early voting, ban people from voting, make it hard to the legal voters to vote ( more so for poor, young, and minority of course) Democrats normaly want as open voting as possible to get the most people to vote...

That said if we did have it we would need to have a new system that had more then 2 parties to make it worth while and give real choices.

Thanks for responding! I agree with your assessment that Republicans gain votes when less people vote. To be honest, I'm tired of the whole "two-party" debate thing. It's just two sides of the coin. In theory, both parties bring something to the table.

We've made politics "entertainment" instead of a "social function". We love to hear stories of how "this governor voted no on legislation CYX even though he was paid by company ABC to do so". That's a sad case.

In short, our media (and attention spans) focus on the negative.

We also "straitjacket" people into political parties. Political parties have now become more about "keeping up the appearances of what a Democrat or Republican should do, than what it the right thing to do. Because a person is Republican, they may feel reluctant to vote for that bill. Because a person is Democrat, they may feel reluctant for that bill.

Isn't the point to make a decision based on what the person thinks is right?

As far as your third party comment, I agree with you. I am doubtful, however, about the rise of a third party because of inertia. The longer an institution remains (in this case, a political party) remains, the more power it has to maintain the status quo. This doesn't mean that things can't change. It does mean that it will take a lot to change it!