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Mandatory Voting - 3/19/2015 2:10:20 AM   
KenDckey


Posts: 4121
Joined: 5/31/2006
Status: offline 		http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-suggests-mandatory-voting-might-be-a-good-idea/

Our fearless leader has suggested that mandatory voting should become the law of the land.

Additionally, the article says that 2 Dem's are proposing a constitutional amendment on campaign finances.

On the former, I suggest no. One of our freedoms is the right not to choose. Making it mandatory could have the effect of jailing the sick and infirmed that can't get to the polls, unless they were specifically, along with their care givers, exempted.

As to the latter, I believe that would be up to the states to decide.
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RE: Mandatory Voting - 3/19/2015 4:43:03 AM   
MercTech


Posts: 3706
Joined: 7/4/2006
Status: offline 		Oh wow, are we going to voting commissars and have to thumbprint the ballots and be fined if we don't have an inked thumb on an election day the way they did in the USSR?

(in reply to KenDckey)
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RE: Mandatory Voting - 3/19/2015 5:02:42 AM   
thishereboi


Posts: 14463
Joined: 6/19/2008
Status: offline 		I think it's a bad idea but I am not surprised to see him suggest it. According to the link he said " "The people who tend not to vote are young, they're lower income, they're skewed more heavily toward immigrant groups and minorities... There's a reason why some folks try to keep them away from the polls.""

Now I am not sure why he thinks that's a good group to target for fines but perhaps he thinks the threat alone will move them to vote. And while asking for id to vote was considered racist because they would have problems getting id, this will be a piece of cake for them.

I guess it's a good thing it wasn't a republican that suggested it or the left would be screaming and crying about how those evil racists were targeting poc and the poor again.


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RE: Mandatory Voting - 3/19/2015 5:03:02 AM   
ThatDaveGuy69


Posts: 978
Joined: 6/22/2007
Status: offline 		Your concern is for someone who isn't physically well enough to vote? Really? What about all the millions of able-bodied people who just can't be bothered to perform the single-most-important task of being a US citizen?
Most places make it VERY easy to vote by mail (absentee ballot) so unless you're in a coma you don't really have much of an excuse for not voting.

As to whether mandatory voting would be good/bad/legal/whatever, I dunno. It kinda-sorta seems like a good idea as we need more participation. But I think we would need a much better educated electorate and there's no way that's likely to happen given the current state of mass media.

While I applaud the IDEA, I just don't see it working out very well.


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RE: Mandatory Voting - 3/19/2015 5:36:34 AM   
Kittenluv954


Posts: 237
Joined: 3/18/2014
Status: offline 		i dont vote, and until our government can provide a person worth voting for? i never will. the lesser of two evil isnt good enough for me to begrudgingly cast a vote for someone i wouldnt even want in my home for coffee. anyone who needs a demographic specialist to go into an area to find out what the people want to hear, and a speech writer to say it- is full of shit. lastly, i think its all fixed anyway. i think the next in line is decided behind closed doors before the last ever leaves office. who can prove the entire country voted for the other guy? i think its a red herring, purposed to keep us busy believing our voices matter, and they dont. so yeah screw voting and wasting my time on politics lol. in case none of you have noticed, we have several apocolyptic snowballs headed our way, silly things our government has ignored for centuries like water supplies drying up, a financial reckoning we cant afford, fossil fuels being depleted... who cares who is president when we are all starving to death because we cant afford the $1000 it will cost to have a pigeon fly us a loaf of bread from the last place in the world making it? seriously. we have MUCH bigger fish to fry, and nobody is paying attention as it is.

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RE: Mandatory Voting - 3/19/2015 5:42:13 AM   
KenDckey


Posts: 4121
Joined: 5/31/2006
Status: offline 		As to a benefit for mandatory voting, unless they allow illegals to vote, it would make them easier to find and deport as necessary.

As to making it mandatory to vote, you take a persons choice. A choice not to choose.

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RE: Mandatory Voting - 3/19/2015 6:02:15 AM   
Kittenluv954


Posts: 237
Joined: 3/18/2014
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quote:

ORIGINAL: MercTech

Oh wow, are we going to voting commissars and have to thumbprint the ballots and be fined if we don't have an inked thumb on an election day the way they did in the USSR?


if they ever did this, they better have a "neutral" option so that i can get my ink while not having actually voted for someone a lobbyist already owns and controls.

(in reply to MercTech)
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RE: Mandatory Voting - 3/19/2015 6:11:37 AM   
servantforuse


Posts: 6363
Joined: 3/8/2006
Status: offline 		There are people out there that can't name the president, vice president and a host of others. They have no clue as to what is going on in politics. We do not need idiots like that being forced to vote.

(in reply to Kittenluv954)
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RE: Mandatory Voting - 3/19/2015 8:22:38 AM   
KenDckey


Posts: 4121
Joined: 5/31/2006
Status: offline 		Servant Maybe mandatory education would follow. Just saying not wanting that being forced to listen to political speech on anyone.

Besides, it wouldn't look good to be forced to listen to dog catcher candidate speech. lol

(in reply to servantforuse)
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RE: Mandatory Voting - 3/19/2015 9:41:49 AM   
kdsub


Posts: 12180
Joined: 8/16/2007
Status: offline 		Myself I think it is foolish to even suggest that voting be mandatory. Only those that take the time to learn about issues should vote. If it were mandatory then many votes would be cast haphazardly with no reason other than fulfilling an obligation.

I love it when some, as in this thread, say they do not vote because they think there are no good options... this just gives more power to me. I will always vote even if it is the lesser of two evils... at least there is a chance the lessor will win...that is better than the alternative.

If I had a say, which I do not, the voting age would be raised to 30 and there would be a civics test just for the right to vote. I would rather have 20 million informed intelligent voters than 130 million who do not know the issues...or have the ability to learn of them.

Radical... sure and just day dreaming opinion... but oh if it were only true.

Butch

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RE: Mandatory Voting - 3/19/2015 11:03:03 AM   
Aylee


Posts: 24103
Joined: 10/14/2007
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: kdsub

Myself I think it is foolish to even suggest that voting be mandatory. Only those that take the time to learn about issues should vote. If it were mandatory then many votes would be cast haphazardly with no reason other than fulfilling an obligation.

I love it when some, as in this thread, say they do not vote because they think there are no good options... this just gives more power to me. I will always vote even if it is the lesser of two evils... at least there is a chance the lessor will win...that is better than the alternative.

If I had a say, which I do not, the voting age would be raised to 30 and there would be a civics test just for the right to vote. I would rather have 20 million informed intelligent voters than 130 million who do not know the issues...or have the ability to learn of them.

Radical... sure and just day dreaming opinion... but oh if it were only true.

Butch


I might go with one of the Heinlein or Kratman solutions.

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RE: Mandatory Voting - 3/19/2015 11:18:57 AM   
Kittenluv954


Posts: 237
Joined: 3/18/2014
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: kdsub

Myself I think it is foolish to even suggest that voting be mandatory. Only those that take the time to learn about issues should vote. If it were mandatory then many votes would be cast haphazardly with no reason other than fulfilling an obligation.

I love it when some, as in this thread, say they do not vote because they think there are no good options... this just gives more power to me. I will always vote even if it is the lesser of two evils... at least there is a chance the lessor will win...that is better than the alternative.

If I had a say, which I do not, the voting age would be raised to 30 and there would be a civics test just for the right to vote. I would rather have 20 million informed intelligent voters than 130 million who do not know the issues...or have the ability to learn of them.

Radical... sure and just day dreaming opinion... but oh if it were only true.

Butch


more power to you, though you are voting on horses all owned by the same farm. at the end of the day, the agenda decides who wins anyway. so the vote you cast is as meaningful as the one i dont. they had a winner before you ever left your house.

(in reply to kdsub)
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RE: Mandatory Voting - 3/19/2015 12:13:16 PM   
joether


Posts: 5195
Joined: 7/24/2005
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: MercTech
Oh wow, are we going to voting commissars and have to thumbprint the ballots and be fined if we don't have an inked thumb on an election day the way they did in the USSR?


Its funny that you say that. Since 36.5% of the voting public (myself included) voted in the mid terms. That leaves 142 million Americans that did not vote. That is about the same size as Russia.

(in reply to MercTech)
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RE: Mandatory Voting - 3/19/2015 12:39:34 PM   
joether


Posts: 5195
Joined: 7/24/2005
Status: offline 		The whole point is to get more people to vote, right?

I'd modify elections in the following ways:

A ) Make the general election a national holiday. We celebrate many other time honored traditions, why not the very day we vote as citizens of the Republic?

B ) Limit total expenses to acquiring a job at Congress to 1/5th the total salary and benefits for one year (the normal value is $176K + benefits/year). If you cant balance your own election, why should the voters think you can balance a national budget. Plus, it allows more non-millionaires from running. More people running for office = more competition.

C ) SuperPACs are ban (and the like). Regardless of which side of politics your on, this one is used to shuttle massive amounts of funds behind closed doors and off the record. How do we know other nations arent giving money to help influence the final election results? Shouldn't we have transparency across the board? Including what funding and sources those whom are running for office?

D ) Remove the Electoral College. Require a win by the majority vote of the population for President.

E ) Don't want to vote? Then you don't need to be a US Citizen. After two 'no shows' at general elections and without a decent reason (in court), the person loses their citizenship. This would be contingent on 'A' above.

F ) Voting starts from 12 AM to 12 PM. That's right a full day of voting. There are many people that work at night and sleep during the day.

G ) That communities set up buses or other means of transportation for those that have trouble getting to the polling location (i.e. the elderly, homeless, disable).

H ) Universal Voting System - Given the number of smartphones and portable devices, to figure out a way for voters to vote from their own phones. Now those that are anti-social and/or have some serious mental/emotional problems with crowds and the outside world, can vote too!

I ) Give a percentage of 5% off income taxes good for two years (until the mid-term elections). This could be an alternative (positive reinforcement) to 'E' above (which is negative reinforcement).

J ) Take $4000 off USA college loans to the government for those that vote. The total is applied after the person graduates with a college degree. Or allow a business grant of money towards the building/expanding of a business by a person under the age of 26. This is to entice young adults to voting.

I've always been against Voter ID laws. They have not shown to accomplish any good. The studies show they have not improved voter turn out anymore than states without such laws. Voter fraud has been found to be exceedingly, very low and far to low to even have a tiny effect on the final vote. Frankly, I feel those laws are against the 4th amendment.

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RE: Mandatory Voting - 3/19/2015 1:09:09 PM   
kdsub


Posts: 12180
Joined: 8/16/2007
Status: offline 		Kittenluv I am not trying to convince you to vote or putting you down because you don't ...We just have different ideas. I would agree with you except history, even recent history, has shown your view to be wrong. Yes big money has an inordinate influence on elections but the voting public can only be fooled for so long then they make the right choices... But... it does take time and how is giving up an answer? It is an ongoing process and it is a constant battle... I personally refuse to give up because I know voting makes a difference.

Butch



_____________________________

Mark Twain:

I don't see any use in having a uniform and arbitrary way of spelling words. We might as well make all clothes alike and cook all dishes alike. Sameness is tiresome; variety is pleasing

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RE: Mandatory Voting - 3/19/2015 1:18:06 PM   
Kittenluv954


Posts: 237
Joined: 3/18/2014
Status: offline 		yeah, i just know politics is a corrupted system. wealth and power are the only agenda, and only the wealthy and powerful are real players. the little person isnt given enough of either of those things to ever pose a real threat to the agenda. so it seems a silly waste of my time to even go pretend to do the dance. i swear the main reason we even still have a vote is so the government can keep track of who is still buying their bullshit and who isnt. "they're still voting, sir..." *evil grin* "eeeexcellent...."

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RE: Mandatory Voting - 3/19/2015 1:31:35 PM   
accublond


Posts: 20
Joined: 2/7/2004
Status: offline 		Mandatory voting is an overreach and won't work.

On the other hand, making Election Day a national holiday (as it is in most democracies) is a good idea to increase participation. In addition... doing what Oregon did a few days ago -- enacting automatic voter registration (if you deal with DMV or other state agencies, they will automatically enroll you, and you get a post card that lets you select a particular party (or no party) or opt out completely if you want) is a thoughtful way to combat the relentless GOP efforts at intimidation, voter suppression and unlimited negative advertising which have greatly reduced electoral participation by the working poor, students and people of color over the last thirty years.

(in reply to KenDckey)
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RE: Mandatory Voting - 3/19/2015 1:36:57 PM   
kdsub


Posts: 12180
Joined: 8/16/2007
Status: offline 		You sound like someone who thinks if people get elected you don't vote for... or issues passed you are against then the system MUST be corrupt. You must entertain the possibility that people really do think differently than you... I certainly know they think differently than I... but every now and then they come to their senses and realize I was right all along...

Butch

_____________________________

Mark Twain:

I don't see any use in having a uniform and arbitrary way of spelling words. We might as well make all clothes alike and cook all dishes alike. Sameness is tiresome; variety is pleasing

(in reply to Kittenluv954)
Profile   Post #: 18
RE: Mandatory Voting - 3/19/2015 2:01:49 PM   
Kittenluv954


Posts: 237
Joined: 3/18/2014
Status: offline 		Mhmm, must be that. so nevermind then, there is NO truth to what i am saying, and our government is corruption free. check.

in case you didnt read my first post, it said i have never voted. there has never been an instance where the person i voted for didnt win, or issues didnt go "my way". not once in my life. i have no stake in this, none, im not remotely interested in politics. its a game played behind closed doors, by the wealthy and powerful. i was only commenting on being forced to vote, per the topic of discussion.

(in reply to kdsub)
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RE: Mandatory Voting - 3/19/2015 2:15:06 PM   
kdsub


Posts: 12180
Joined: 8/16/2007
Status: offline 		Gotya

_____________________________

Mark Twain:

I don't see any use in having a uniform and arbitrary way of spelling words. We might as well make all clothes alike and cook all dishes alike. Sameness is tiresome; variety is pleasing

(in reply to Kittenluv954)
Profile   Post #: 20
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