All Australian citizens over the age of 18 must register and show up at a polling station, but they need not actually vote. They can deface their ballot or write in Skippy the Bush Kangaroo (Australia's version of Lassie)—or do nothing at all.What happens if you don't show up on Election Day? You'll receive a fairly polite form letter (see example here). At this point, you can settle the matter by paying a $15 fine or offering any number of excuses, including illness (no note from your doctor required), travel, religious objections, or just plain forgetfulness. For most people, the matter ends here. In most elections, about a half-million registered voters don't come to the polls. Ninety-five percent of them offer a valid excuse, and the matter ends there. Five percent pay a fine.
Would you favor such a system here in the United States? Or does requiring someone to vote defeat the purpose of voting as a right or privilege? Should we want everyone to vote, informed or otherwise? What does it say about the state of our democracy when barely half the voting populace exercises that right?
I do not think that voting should be mandatory. As we have said in class some people work long hours, I think that lines would be much longer causing more problems that it may be worth exspecially for those who run to voting machine during lunch hours and before work hours. Though I think voting is a great idea and encourage people to vote, exspecially in presidential elections. And then whats going to happen if voting is mandatory and someone does not what are we going to do put them in jail, guess where our tax money is going to go! To newer jail and other facilites.
ReplyDeleteWe can force someone to sign a draft card, yet we can't get people to vote. I think that we some provisions added in (such as various days that can be voted on, times when the polls are open) mandatory or compulsory voting would not necessarily be a bad thing. Many people would feel that since they were registered and probably would not want to pay or the hassle of paying a fine would go to polls and vote. Since they are going to be voting people would want to know more about the candidates. In the long run this would lead to the candidates being more accountable to the people they represent. I do see the point that this would be limiting freedom and taking away the choice, but I truly believe that once people got into the habit of voting it would make America more democratic as a whole because more people would be involved.
ReplyDeleteI think that making voting mandatory is one of the worst ideas in the United States long history of bad ideas. Sure women and african americans have fought for the right to vote, but if someone doesn't want to execute that right then they shouldn't be forced to. I personally will never vote in any type of political election. I don't see it as my vote not counting if I do vote, I just think that it's the biggest waste of time considering most of the politicians are completely full of it. Any person elected into offic nowadays is purely wicked. They don't care about us and I refuse to be the one to help put them in charge of our fates.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely not. If voting were required what kind of people would we have picking our officials? The ones who don't care, are misinformed, uninformed, and under educated about the candidates and their stands on different issues. I say leave it to the people who care and are willing to follow politics and are therefore well informed and are able to make an educated decision. I say quality is what counts not quantity.
ReplyDeleteI think it should be a person's choice as to whether or not they vote. Don't get me wrong, if someone doesn't vote, they shouldn't try to reserve the right to complain later. I have to agree with Aimee...if people are going to vote, then they should be well informed about who they are in favor of...the worst thing is for someone to vote and know absolutely nothing about the candidate they favor.
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