Compulsory Voting?

They can stick it.   3 votes - 60 %
That will improve our 'democracy' no end.   2 votes - 40 %
 
5 Total Votes
I'm told... by ana (4.00 / 1) #1 Thu Mar 27, 2008 at 09:03:15 PM EST
every Government in the UK in the 19th century that extended the franchise to a larger segment of the population got voted out in the following election.

"And this ... is a piece of Synergy." --Kellnerin


Don't think so by TheophileEscargot (4.00 / 2) #2 Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 02:51:41 AM EST
The Whigs proposed the 1832 Reform Bill and won the subsequent election.
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"Everything is vague to a degree you do not realize till you have tried to make it precise." -- Bertrand Russell
[ Parent ]

That's how they do it in Oz by Breaker (4.00 / 1) #3 Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 06:58:53 AM EST
200 AUD fine if you don't vote.

Still, roll on Mayoral elections.  I am looking forward to voting that fat whiny cunt Livingstone out on his arse, along with the rest of his turkey army.




What choices you have by Herring (2.00 / 0) #6 Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 07:57:04 AM EST
Dave Spart, Lord Wibble of Hatstand or a bent copper.

I'm English, and as such I crave disappointment. - Bill Bailey
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Out of interest by Dr Thrustgood (2.00 / 0) #9 Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 10:16:41 AM EST
Who're you going to vote for as your option one and two?

Personally, I'm refusing to take any part in the bloody thing; I don't see a single candidate that won't fuck things up properly.



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Johnson by Breaker (4.00 / 1) #10 Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 11:48:08 AM EST
Largely for comedy value.  All the candidates are fucktards, but at least Boris might provide entertainment.


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Can you vote for the same guy on both options? by nebbish (2.00 / 0) #11 Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 06:39:51 PM EST
I'm not entirely clear on it all.

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It's political correctness gone mad!
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The "fuck no"s have it. by Rogerborg (4.00 / 1) #4 Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 07:34:42 AM EST
I'd be OK with scaling the worth of each vote by the amount of tax that the voter has paid since the last election.

Never mind though: repealing mandatory voting would just give the Tories a guaranteed win at the next election.

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Metus amatores matrum compescit, non clementia.


Don't see why on the tax thing by R Mutt (2.00 / 0) #5 Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 07:54:00 AM EST
The entrepeneurial wealthy in UKia don't pay tax.

Why give extra voting power to those people too dopey to get out of paying taxes even when they have a strong incentive?

[ Parent ]

No representation without taxation? [n/t] by Herring (2.00 / 0) #7 Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 07:57:58 AM EST


I'm English, and as such I crave disappointment. - Bill Bailey
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Because having a LibDem government would be a lark by Rogerborg (2.00 / 0) #8 Fri Mar 28, 2008 at 08:29:29 AM EST
I mean, once.

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Metus amatores matrum compescit, non clementia.
[ Parent ]

Scale it the other way [nt] by nebbish (2.00 / 0) #13 Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 06:43:32 PM EST

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It's political correctness gone mad!
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better yet... by dmg (4.00 / 1) #14 Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 08:29:42 PM EST
let's have an open market in votes. I'll sell mine for £50.
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Hard work is morally wrong.
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Disagree with it entirely by nebbish (2.00 / 0) #12 Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 06:40:41 PM EST
Forcing people to have an opinion is fundamentally undemocratic.

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It's political correctness gone mad!


What makes you think this is a democracy? n/t by dmg (2.00 / 0) #15 Mon Mar 31, 2008 at 08:30:08 PM EST

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Hard work is morally wrong.
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I believe by Breaker (2.00 / 0) #16 Tue Apr 01, 2008 at 04:08:15 AM EST
There's a "none of the above" box to tick when a vote is mandatory.

Or you can just spoil your ballot paper.


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Saying you don't like any of them by nebbish (4.00 / 1) #17 Tue Apr 01, 2008 at 07:44:42 AM EST
Or disagreeing with the process by spoiling the ballot paper is still an opinion. Not having an opinion is defined by not engaging.

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It's political correctness gone mad!
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I think by Breaker (2.00 / 0) #18 Tue Apr 01, 2008 at 08:40:56 AM EST
That's the kind of apathy they are trying to change.


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I don't think it's apathy by nebbish (4.00 / 1) #19 Tue Apr 01, 2008 at 09:19:07 AM EST
Disinterest isn't apathy

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It's political correctness gone mad!
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Splitting hairs there, surely. by Breaker (2.00 / 0) #20 Tue Apr 01, 2008 at 12:21:38 PM EST
But as an all inclusive democracy a mandatory vote's a good idea in my book.

Provided you're paying tax at the higher rate, that is.


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Look at it this way by nebbish (2.00 / 0) #22 Wed Apr 02, 2008 at 04:54:43 AM EST
Can you really make an informed choice without a certain level of knowledge?

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It's political correctness gone mad!
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That hasn't stopped by Breaker (2.00 / 0) #23 Wed Apr 02, 2008 at 07:36:04 AM EST
Any of the voters so far.


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But you're saying by nebbish (2.00 / 0) #24 Wed Apr 02, 2008 at 08:05:24 AM EST
It's a good thing to force people who have no interest in or knowledge of politics to make a choice.

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It's political correctness gone mad!
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And that choice would be by Breaker (2.00 / 0) #25 Wed Apr 02, 2008 at 11:54:45 AM EST
"None of the above."

Why do you hate democracy?


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Indeed. by dmg (4.00 / 1) #21 Tue Apr 01, 2008 at 09:14:52 PM EST
Ticking 'none of the above' or 'spoiling your ballot paper' is all very well if you are of a civic-minded persuasion.

But I refuse to be summoned by those nose-in-the-trough shapeshifting reptilian motherfuckers to do my duty like a good little sheep and rubber stamp their illegitimate actions as if I am a piece of their property. Fuck them! I have better things to do with my time.
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Hard work is morally wrong.
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