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Mandatory voting

Do you support mandatory voting?

  • Yes, those who do not vote should be fined

    Votes: 1 2.9%

  • Yes, those who do not vote should be jailed

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • No, people should have a choice whether to vote or not

    Votes: 24 70.6%

  • No, however the government should establish an Election Day Holiday to allow everyone to vote

    Votes: 14 41.2%
  • Total voters
    34
We need more holidays in this country!

I would like one for my dog as well...all shall bow to the white one with a curly tail.
 
Anagram said:
Well it would definitely increase the number of uninformed people voting in absolute numbers. As for percentages, I'd say it stands to reason that the people who don't vote are generally less informed on political issues than those who do, although admittedly I don't have any hard data for this.
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Informed on political issues is not the same is informed in general. People not involved in the party political soap opera could well cut through to the actual policies (e.g. rather than focusing exclusively on where Obama was born or whether Romney outsourced jobs, they ask what those guys would actually do as President). It probably wouldn’t happen on it's own but it could as part of a wider policy on "better" elections.
 
Smart said:
Allow me to explain.

The youth are overwhelmingly pro-gay marriage, pro-term limits, pro-marijuana legalization, pro-prostitution legalization, etc.

Their voices being heard on these issues will easily get them passed in most states.
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Ah. Allow me to explain

The youth are generally fools who think that life is like their college professors explained to them. They are the least informed age-bracket when it comes to political issues. They are the most likely to make major political decisions based upon ephemeral factors such as "I like him" rather than "I believe that Set Of Policies X, which this candidate supports, are more likely to achieve desired effects in society". The "Youth Vote" is more worried about voting in American Idol and watching reality TV than it is about voting for entitlement reform, tax code reform, or foreign policy.

They are also massively in charge of government expenditures, social safety net programs that encourage dependency, the forgiveness of student loans, and generally using the government to "make life fair". Consider what you really want, oh ye libertarian, when you say you want to force them to the polls because you believe that doing so will produce electoral results of which you approve.
 
Lokiate said:
Just small examples. American youth aren't exactly know for demonstrating the best judgement. I don't see a problem with allowing the immature idiots within our youths ranks to mature. Forcing them to vote would be asking for trouble.
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Bingo. We should be running "voting is for boring old people" campaigns rather than "rock the vote" ones.
 
Smart said:
How do you feel about mandatory voting?

Personally, I oppose it. However it would help fix our elections, by getting the youth out to vote. :mrgreen:
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Forcing someone to vote would be just UN-American just like Spud_Meister.
 
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