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Compulsory voting first timers?
TheTruth1983
Posts: 13,462 Forum Member
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http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/voting-should-be-compulsory-for-young-people-at-least-once-says-think-tank-8784419.html
What do you think? I say no because compulsory voting is just another type of totalitarianism and an attempt by politicians to put the blame for poor turn-outs on the electorate, rather than asking themselves honestly why more and more people are pissed off with both the electoral process and those who gain power through it.
Those who have gone before us did not fight for our right to vote, they fought for our right to choose whether or not we wanted to vote.
What do you think? I say no because compulsory voting is just another type of totalitarianism and an attempt by politicians to put the blame for poor turn-outs on the electorate, rather than asking themselves honestly why more and more people are pissed off with both the electoral process and those who gain power through it.
Those who have gone before us did not fight for our right to vote, they fought for our right to choose whether or not we wanted to vote.
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I don't want to go in there as I know what it will be like. Comments about how the think tank is left leaning and how this would just give Labour an advantage as younger people tend to be left leaning, as though that were true.
Honestly who could be bothered with that?
But that's where you should talk about it.
:rolleyes:
I can assure you some people have noticed.
Tories
Tory Lite (Labour)
I can't believe they aren't Tories (Lib Dems)
That about sums up the 3 main parties.
Those are the ones that need to vote.
That only makes sense if something kicks in/happens if everyone or a substantial amount of people vote "none of the above". Else it's just meaningless.
none of the above would probably win
It seemed a complete waste of resources to me (staff to determine who has a "valid and sufficient reason", many more wrecked ballots to count, fines to issue, court cases to run, legal costs...) all to police an undemocratic system. So much for Australia being a free country!
That is what I would do if compulsory voting were introduced.
I have voted in some elections but not all. I vote when I care about either the party, or more often, the people I am voting for.
So what is the point of that?
Or maybe they could just not turn up if they didn't want to vote
I care if I vote or note, it's not important.
Exactly.
The number of spoilt papers is counted and announced. If you don't want to vote for any of the above then there is nothing wrong with spoiling the paper and registering your vote (or rather lack thereof). It's a shame more people don't do it such that the number of spoilt papers makes a statement, rather than ambiguously not turning out at all.
Personally I'd bring the voting age down to 16 and make political discussion and voting and part of the curriculum for the last year of secondary school.