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Should voting be mandatory?

Should voting be mandatory?

  • Yes

    Votes: 8 16.0%
  • No

    Votes: 39 78.0%
  • Unsure

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Did Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow this year?

    Votes: 3 6.0%

  • Total voters
    50
Perhaps you would be happy with a test of ones knowledge so your can determine if they are fit for voting or not?
I do not trust the elected officials or the people they would appoint to come out with a unbiased political knowledge test. Politicians on both sides would dumb the test down for desirable voters and make it extremely hard to undesirable voters.Or they would frame the question in a way that demonizes certain candidates or require that the answers be politically correct and etc. Sure they could come out with a multiple choice test asking which individual is your city councilor, mayor,state level and federal level senators and congressmen, lieutenant governor, governor, and president.But any schmuck with access to the internet can look that up before arriving at the polls and easily remember it and it wouldn't necessarily indicate the person is politically knowledgeable.
 
I do not trust the elected officials or the people they would appoint to come out with a unbiased political knowledge test. Politicians on both sides would dumb the test down for desirable voters and make it extremely hard to undesirable voters.Or they would frame the question in a way that demonizes certain candidates or require that the answers be politically correct and etc. Sure they could come out with a multiple choice test asking which individual is your city councilor, mayor,state level and federal level senators and congressmen, lieutenant governor, governor, and president.But any schmuck with access to the internet can look that up before arriving at the polls and easily remember it and it wouldn't necessarily indicate the person is politically knowledgeable.

Thank you for your honest answer. You have pointed outcome of the problems with such a requirement and I join you in being against such things.
 
Not only NO, but HELL NO!

Not only should it not be mandatory, it should only be done by those who have earned the "right".
 
While on its face value the notion of mandatory voting may be appealing to some....especially in response to the comprehensive Republican voter suppression tactics presently employed in Red States nation -wide. And there is no doubt that when participation is high the Republicans lose...big time!

However this may well have unintended consequences since the nation's labor force now toils largely without any union protections -and unsurprisingly finds its wages flattened over decades; these same corporatists are now more free than ever to send out the proverbial meme containing their mock ballot and "advising" workers to follow their "recommendations"- OR ELSE! ......in short it could well lead to a neoliberal Stalinist style election process actually benefiting the very predatory capitalist blood suckers it was designed to contain........indeed, the very antithesis of why mandatory voting was initially proposed.

Unfortunately, it appears that there is no replacement for the heavy lifting of educating the (deliberately) class confused populace so that they understand the importance of voting - and not voting against their own interests....alas, engagement in public affairs is much akin to an orgasm: it can't be successfully faked.
 
Should voting be mandatory?

No one should be force to vote.

People are allowed to decide for themselves to choose a candidate, while they also can refuse all candidates by not voting. Should remain as it is.

If it should ever become mandatory, it should come with personal form ID needed to vote.
 
Should voting be mandatory?

Yes, with one caveat. So long as the only choices aren't establishment candidates, otherwise, hell no.
 
Note. Conservative posters are against mandatory voting. The reason is obvious, and it has nothing to do with liberty.

As Paul Weyrich, the co-founder of ALEC said in 1980 when he was helping run the Reagan campaign, Republican chances in elections go up as the number of people turning out to vote goes down:

“I don't want everybody to vote. Elections are not won by a majority of people. They never have been from the beginning of our country, and they are not now. As a matter of fact our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down."
 
Note. Conservative posters are against mandatory voting. The reason is obvious, and it has nothing to do with liberty.

As Paul Weyrich, the co-founder of ALEC said in 1980 when he was helping run the Reagan campaign, Republican chances in elections go up as the number of people turning out to vote goes down:

“I don't want everybody to vote. Elections are not won by a majority of people. They never have been from the beginning of our country, and they are not now. As a matter of fact our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down."

In other words, the stupid, uninformed, lazy people who don't turn out for elections tend to vote Democrat.
 
I disagree. I think forcing the population to POSSIBLY fight, kill, and die for the actions of their politicians will result in MUCH more careful selection of said politicians.

I don't think history shows that people are more careful in who they elect when a draft is hanging over their head.
 
In other words, the stupid, uninformed, lazy people who don't turn out for elections tend to vote Democrat.

IOW republicans want as few as possible to vote! America is center left.
 
In other words, the stupid, uninformed, lazy people who don't turn out for elections tend to vote Democrat.

Anyone who doesn't vote is stupid, uniformed, and lazy? That seems like a fair generalization. It's not like people can't get off work on a workday or don't have time to wait in line, or don't like the options presented to them, or are fed up with the fact that both parties are essentially two sides of the same crappy coin. No, they're all stupid, uninformed, and lazy.
 
Yes and limited to tax paying (as opposed to tax recieving) non felon land owners.
 
Should voting be mandatory?

No. I understand it would require a constitutional amendment. That won't happen. In addition, too many stupid people vote as it is.
 
Five plus years ago I posed the same question .. Today, the no vote is stronger than ever..
IMO, voting must be mandatory, but, campaign and campaign finance reform must also occur... There must be an option "none of the above"..
 
No. I understand it would require a constitutional amendment. That won't happen. In addition, too many stupid people vote as it is.
And who, sir, determines the level of this so-called stupidity ?
Me
You
Some extremist ?
 
And no women or blacks.
And how far back in time do you wish to go, Monte ?
How about Day One, where the strongest, quickest man could be king of the hill .. for one day, and then the battle would recur , o'er & o'er ..
 
Anyone who doesn't vote is stupid, uniformed, and lazy? That seems like a fair generalization. It's not like people can't get off work on a workday or don't have time to wait in line, or don't like the options presented to them, or are fed up with the fact that both parties are essentially two sides of the same crappy coin. No, they're all stupid, uninformed, and lazy.

No, thanks for proving you can't read. I responded to a statement that Republicans benefit from as few people voting as possible so they could win elections. That means that the people who are disinterested in voting, who are politically ignorant and are too lazy to go to the polling place are more likely to vote Democrat. Logic. Figure it out.
 
And how far back in time do you wish to go, Monte ?
How about Day One, where the strongest, quickest man could be king of the hill .. for one day, and then the battle would recur , o'er & o'er ..

It was sarcastic bud, I'm sorry to have offended your sensibilities.
 
The way I see it is that the current system is non-functional and anything would be an improvement.
 
I don't think history shows that people are more careful in who they elect when a draft is hanging over their head.

A draft denotes mandatory service only during wartime. I am talking mandatory service at the age of 18, till, say, 22, regardless of peace or not. A draft is administered as a result of being in a prolonged war, and mandatory military service is not. One most CERTAINLY would affect the decisions of parents at the voting booth.
 
democracy is optional ? thats the problem.obligatory voting doesnt mean anything if so
 
democracy is optional ? thats the problem.obligatory voting doesnt mean anything if so

It's not optional for me, it's a requirement!!
 
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