Should America have compulsory voting?

Question

Many nations throughout the world, most notably Australia and Belgium, have an electoral system where voting is not only a right, but a responsibility.

Technically, in Australia, it is not compulsory to vote, but compulsory to attend a polling station before 6pm on the election day. It is compulsory to register to vote.

Compulsory voting would guarantee the government represents the true majority of the United States and not just the majority of the 50% of people who bother to turn up.

It also obliges the government to provide more polling booths to service the voting population because one of the big reasons people don't vote is because they don't want to be standing in a line. I remember last time I voted I was waiting for up to an hour, on a workday! Which leads me to another point, elections should be held on weekends, again to Australia ( I know I keep going on about them but they're just so cool ) their elections are always held on a Saturday - which makes much more sense is you actually want people to vote.

I think the USA needs serious reform of its electoral system.

Anyone agree?

Answer 1

No.  And pretend the choices are acceptable?

Rejection is a right, as well.

However, I will vote as close to Ron Paul as I can and have it counted, because I want my vote to count.

Answer 2

right after they enact compulsory thinking,.  

Answer 3

no, because they shouldn't force people to vote if they don't want to. Just like people can be the biggest supporters for either party, people in America can choose whether or not they want to vote. If people do not register, they cannot vote.  and even if they do register, they have a choice not to. That what makes America great, we choose the life we want to live.

Answer 4

Compulsory = Coercion.

I nominate you for the biggest idiot of the year.

  

Answer 5

I'm not sure I like that idea, if you make people do something then the lazy people who don't work will have to vote, and they WILL vote for whom ever will make them do the least.

The way it is now, people who work are more likely to make time to vote, and to me they are the ones who should make the choices for america.

Answer 6

Black Leopard .. it isn't rubbish .. your friends would be fined if they were found NOT to be voting ... I know aussies also who are not on the electoral roll .. but hey ... that's their problem .. they have NO RIGHT to complain about whoever gets elected or what the Government does or doesn't do if they don't vote.. and if they get caught well THAT'S THEIR BAD LUCK .. they WILL have to pay the fine.

BUT WE GET FINED IF WE DO NOT HAVE OUR NAMES CROSSED OFF THE ELECTORAL ROLL AT VOTING TIME .. I am an aussie .. and have been on the electoral roll for nearly 30 yrs and have always voted...I take that very seriously .. If I don't bother voting I shouldn't have the right to complain...

I think there would be too many americans saying that it would be an infringement of their rights if they were MADE to vote .. ( which is STUPID as they can still vote for whoever they want)

LOL at the a student c student thing ... that's really funny .. is woggle even aware how many medical and scientific break throughs are made in Australia ...

SOMETIMES even the Kid at the Top of the class doesn't always do things with common sense and practicallity like the kid in the C class...

Answer 7

I'm from Australia and we have had compulsory voting for 80 years. we have no intention of removing it. Compulsory voting neutralizes those that vote because they are passionate on particular issues and these people are often to one sided. it keeps the government honest as if they don't keep their promises there will be a swing against them. and elections here tend to be lopsided the Liberals (aussie republicans) won the 2004 election by a landslide but the failed their promises and thus the ALP (australian Democrats) won last year by a landslide. compulsory voting has really worked here if we didn't have it we would likely have Howard still here and would probably endorse Mccain.

and for the record PM Rudd has an approval rating of over 60% whats wrong a lefty he's not exactly socialist either he is the most ring wing person from the left wing party Australia has had.

Sophie - please do your reserch before you make such stupid comments. especially when refering to our elected  version of Obama, Keivn Rudd is a great Prime minister

Answer 8

I think you should have an IQ test before you can vote. So no.

Sophie- so the majority of the entire country is liberal. God forbid the majority should rule. LoL

Answer 9

that's rubbish, i have aussie friends who never voted in their lives. they don't even know who the h**l their first prime minister is. and the polling stations? they don't go to that either.  

Answer 10

I'm from Australia and we ARE cool! If Sophie doesn't like K-Rud then she can bite me. He won. Meaning that majority wanted him there so deal with it. If Liberal had won we STILL wouldn't have apologised to the Aboriginals and we STILL wouldn't be making an effect to combat global warming. (because nuclear power does not count, for those of you playing along at home)

Woggle W, if you can only find Australia on a world map because of it's size and believe it is an 'invisible' country then as far as I'm concerned all that proves is that you think most Americans are arrogant and uneducated. Which explains why you think an IQ is necessary. Personally I think you're an arrogant moron yourself.

Actually, it is compulsory to vote in Australia. If someone chooses not to register so that they are not on the list on the day then that is illegal and they are in big trouble if they get caught. If someone shows up on the day they must go into a booth with a ballot and if they choose to hand in a blank piece of paper that is also illegal. That is why we have in Australia what is called a "Donkey Vote" which is when you mark the boxes 1, 2, 3, 4 from the top down. Which is why the order of the parties is changed each year randomly. I don't know anyone that actually does this though because it's made way too easy to put in a proper vote.

You can wait for up to 45 mins or so to vote here if you go in the 'peak' times but I usually go about 4:30 or 5:00 and I walk straight in. Voting is held at most primary schools so there's no shortage of places to go.

I thin that compulsory voting is a good thing. It encourages EVERYONE to take note of politics (even if it's only in the few months leading up to an election) because they all know that they will have to vote.

It's really not difficult to pick up the "Liberal" or "Labour" or "Greens" pamphlet on your way in depending on who you like the most and voting exactly how they tell you to if you can't be bothered paying a huge amount of attention to politics. Even a limited knowledge of the policies on offer will be enough to enable you to vote.

More importantly when someone in Australia is elected we know it's because every Australian citizen had a say. It also means that certain people or types of people cannot be bullied into voting a certain way or not voting at all. Because they HAVE to vote and the votes are anonymous.

I know it may not be relevant in America now but when Blacks were first given the right to vote most of them couldn't anyway because White Americans would be waiting to physically abuse them if they tried to get in to vote. It's still possible that someone could be scared out of voting in American and I don't think this is acceptable. Of course the same sort of violence wouldn't be used but we all know there are more discreet ways of threatening people.

Okay I'm rambling..... But while we're at it, get polymer notes already. :P

Answer 11

No.  Look what happened to Australia.  They voted in a Socialist Democrat.

Answer 12

Absolutely not. I'm from the other extreme of thinkers that most people would bash as a "tard". I believe voting rights should be taken away from people and that people should have to QUALIFY for the right to vote (via IQ testing and passing a test showing a basic 12th grade knowledge of politics). I can't stand the thought that people who have never so much as read one political article in a newspaper think they are "qualified" to vote for the best possible leader for us.

But I'm also a realist and accept that if my ideal was implemented.. it would cause riots. So, vote you high school dropouts and flunkies and junkies and people with 86 IQ's. I'm very confident you can make an informed decision based on facts. Yup. So confident.

And I have a problem with people with previous criminal convictions having the right to vote.  Only law abiding citizens should be allowed to vote. Losing the right to vote (for life) should be part of the punishment for failing to be a civilized citizen.

And... who cares about what australia and Belgium are doing? Those are 2 extremely invisible countries on this earth. No american can find belgium on a map and the only reason we can find australia is because, on a globe,  it looks like lighthouse on a dark shore.

So to answer the question: NO WAY should we FORCE people with 86 IQ's, people convicted of shady crimes, people who skip the political section and head straight for the comics, people who don't know what a senator is, people with mental illnesses and people who think the moon is made of cheese to vote.