The apathy league had a meeting in the same place last night and it was deemed a tremendous success : nobody showed up !
The apathy league had a meeting in the same place last night and it was deemed a tremendous success : nobody showed up !
Having a constitutional right to vote, like other rights, carries with it the concomitant right not to excerise that right. I have a right to join a trade union, therefore I also have a right to refuse to join one. To make voting compulsory, would deprive citizens of the right to vote, and replace that right with an obligation.
I do not wish to relinquish my right to vote.
I believe voting should be compulsory. Those who wish not to register a preference can
A) Opt for a 're-open nominations' option if one is provided
B) Spoil their ballot if it is not.
Citizens have rights, but they also have duties, and participation in the decision making process of the body politic is one of them. The option of spoiling one's ballot allows a perfectly acceptable means of expressing a protest against the candidates on offer, the system as a whole, or even a simple absence of opinion and unwillingness to affect the decision.
Absention is still possible with a compulsory vote. It however must be an active expression of abstention, and not simply an abrogation of one's civic duties out of laziness.
Of course this carries with it the caveat that the state must make every effort to assist its citizens in being able to cast their ballot, by promptly and efficiently providing all necessary documentation, holding votes on weekends or making ballot days official holidays, organising voter transportation for those who need it etc and so on.
The Aussies have exactly this sort of system, and I think they're better for it.
The amount of confused thinking that exists on this subject always surprises me.
In and of itself there is nothing good or bad about a high turnout in an election. It is only a figure, a statistic, a number.
What is desirable is what is reflected by a high turnout. Namely a high level of interest by the people in their democracy. In short a belief that their vote is important.
Making it easier to vote in order to increase turnout misses this point entirely and devalues the commitment of those who do vote.
My own view is it should be made harder to vote. Government by those who care enough to vote. I'm sure the greeks had a word for it.
For years I've been trying to sell the idea of a Bona Fide Voter. You can only vote at a polling station more than five miles from your house.*
*Joke for the over forties.
Is that a referance to when Dev Elera(spelling?) banned buses being organised to collect people thier homes, to bring them to polling stations?Originally Posted by finn.mc.cool
[quote=The Collective.]Is that a referance to when Dev Elera(spelling?) banned buses being organised to collect people thier homes, to bring them to polling stations?[/quote:tku2e7nz]
No it's a reference to how you used to be able to drive up to the Wicklow moutains from town and drink legally after hours - as a Bona Fide traveller.
I'm sure it's on Wikipedia.
And if your Collective is dedicated to making me feel old take the rest of the afternoon off. Your work here is done.
Absolutely no! It is always the left-wing partieswhich propose these things that voting should be compulsory because it is an undeniable fact that left-wing supporters are more apathetic voters than those of the right. The lower the turn-out the better the right succeeds.
There are varoius reasons for not voting. Some people refuse to support any political party, others are simply just not interested enough in politics in order to be able to form a sophisticated opinion on issues.
Some people who vote actually vote completely against their own interests by supporting a party which has nothing to do with things that voter holds dear but that is democracy.
If there was a compulsory voting, the amount of blank and spoiled ballots would increase very much.
Cant see any of the established parties wanting to force tens of thousands of apathetic ,unpredictable voters to come out and vote.
[quote=finn.mc.cool][quote="The Collective.":1effo3g0]Is that a referance to when Dev Elera(spelling?) banned buses being organised to collect people thier homes, to bring them to polling stations?[/quote:1effo3g0]
No it's a reference to how you used to be able to drive up to the Wicklow moutains from town and drink legally after hours - as a Bona Fide traveller.
I'm sure it's on Wikipedia.
And if your Collective is dedicated to making me feel old take the rest of the afternoon off. Your work here is done.[/quote:1effo3g0]
Was that when there was soem law about being allowed to drink after hours if you had to drive something like 3 miles to the pub? Cant remember who brought that in.
[quote=The Collective.][quote="finn.mc.cool":d8lbplf0][quote="The Collective.":d8lbplf0]Is that a referance to when Dev Elera(spelling?) banned buses being organised to collect people thier homes, to bring them to polling stations?[/quote:d8lbplf0]
No it's a reference to how you used to be able to drive up to the Wicklow moutains from town and drink legally after hours - as a Bona Fide traveller.
I'm sure it's on Wikipedia.
And if your Collective is dedicated to making me feel old take the rest of the afternoon off. Your work here is done.[/quote:d8lbplf0]
Was that when there was soem law about being allowed to drink after hours if you had to drive something like 3 miles to the pub? Cant remember who brought that in.[/quote:d8lbplf0]
No, there were no cars back then. Just horses. And if you were really well off, a dinosaur.
And we could all spell too. Good times.
