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Compulsory Voting
November 7, 2022 at 4:13 pm
(This post was last modified: November 7, 2022 at 4:16 pm by BrianSoddingBoru4.)
A handful of countries require eligible citizens to vote. The chief arguments for doing so is that it will (ostensibly) produce a higher class of candidate and lessen demagoguery. The chief point against is that it conflicts with freedom of speech (which necessarily includes the freedom to not speak. It boils down to whether voting is a civil right or a civic responsibility. What say you?
Boru
‘But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods or no gods. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.’ - Thomas Jefferson
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RE: Compulsory Voting
November 7, 2022 at 4:34 pm
(This post was last modified: November 7, 2022 at 4:35 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
I say compelled speech. A no go. Let the people who actually vote for their shitty respective candidates own it themselves. I don't want any part of it.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Compulsory Voting
November 7, 2022 at 5:00 pm
(November 7, 2022 at 4:34 pm)The Grand Nudger Wrote: I say compelled speech. A no go. Let the people who actually vote for their shitty respective candidates own it themselves. I don't want any part of it.
That’s where I’m at. There’s been a push in the last few years to make it compulsory here, but our Prime Minister (PBUH) isn’t having it, for exactly the reason you stated.
Boru
‘But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods or no gods. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.’ - Thomas Jefferson
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RE: Compulsory Voting
November 7, 2022 at 5:09 pm
I say not compulsory. Being forced to vote doesn't mean a person will cast a ballot that means anything to them. They could fill in the blanks just to get it done. The minimum required effort just to comply doesn't sound like a great plan.
“If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room.” — Confucius
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RE: Compulsory Voting
November 7, 2022 at 5:29 pm
Don't vote at all.
It only emcourages the bastards.
Dying to live, living to die.
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RE: Compulsory Voting
November 7, 2022 at 6:18 pm
The ballot should include an option "none of the above"
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RE: Compulsory Voting
November 7, 2022 at 6:40 pm
(November 7, 2022 at 6:18 pm)zebo-the-fat Wrote: The ballot should include an option "none of the above"
The Aussies have compulsory voting, with a fine if you don’t ($20, I think). Since ballots there are secret, it’s been estimated that as many as 25% of ‘voters’ hand in a blank ballot.
Boru
‘But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods or no gods. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.’ - Thomas Jefferson
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RE: Compulsory Voting
November 7, 2022 at 6:49 pm
(This post was last modified: November 7, 2022 at 6:51 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
Id rather the ballots included a better candidate than a "none of the above" option. None of the above is pretty safe to assume when someone doesn't cast a vote..and it's less paperwork and labor to process no ballot at all. Or maybe there should be some minimum threshold to seat a cabinet that, if a candidate fails to meet, can be considered a plurality or majority vote of no confidence on the face of it?
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Compulsory Voting
November 8, 2022 at 7:09 pm
No compulsory voting. A vote should be earned. If I'm voting because I'm forced, you didn't necessarily earn my vote. The debate about compulsory voting came up recently since Ontario had the lowest voter turnout ever. I didn't vote. If you want better turnout, present better candidates.
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RE: Compulsory Voting
December 3, 2022 at 5:13 am
What do you think about Michael Huemer's idea that voting, in most elections, is actually immoral? Most elections revolve about so many complex issues that it's impossible to be an informed voter there. And uninformed voting is as if some tourist asked you where the location of some restaurant is, and you, instead of admitting you don't know, make a guess: that's immoral.
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