Obama floats idea of mandatory voting

[Sword of the Lord]

Obama: Maybe it's time for mandatory voting - CNN.com

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Republicans should fear mandatory voting more than anyone! That would pretty much destroy their hopes of ever holding elected office again!

 

[Sumwear]

sure. why not? just make people have a day off from both federal and state elections, you know, like other countries do. and still have employers compensate their employees for that day. okay?

hello?

hello?

 

[Sword of the Lord]

Republicans should fear mandatory voting more than anyone! That would pretty much destroy their hopes of ever holding elected office again!

The young liberal punks that can't spell correctly or complete simple math will look at who isn't a bigot, which to them means who is pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage, and who allows them to bum out and get high, and that's who they will vote for. We would be in a world of trouble.

 

[Genersis]

Not really sure it would help.
Turnout may increase if there were punishments for failing to vote, but that would just create more animosity. Especially if there isn't a "None of the above" option.

Alternatively there could be intensive to vote; but there already is, at least insofar as having an influence on government, more likely to be listened to by politicians ETC.
Over all though, emphasising the benefits of voting, or making the choice to vote more enticing is the better path in my opinion.

 

[pdudgeon]

has this man not taken a high school civics course in his life????

Freedom to vote also means the freedom NOT to vote.

But why should we be surprised at this latest scheme. He's already trampled all over the Constitution in his efforts to undermine the country. This is just one more in a collection of bad ideas to come out of Washington.

 

[MoonlessNight]

I can't see how anyone could think about this idea for more than thirty seconds and not see that if people do not want to vote, there is no way that you can force them into making a meaningful vote.

Of course having more votes to keep track, particularly from people who are voting without rhyme or reason, would make all sorts of fraud and general election corruption easier.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Mrs Thatcher in Great Britain tried a poll tax, trying to tie voting with tax issues, leading to riots in the streets, until the measure was withdrawn.

In Canada, if this were to happen, it would arguably mean taking the rights and freedoms from people which they currently have in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, unless they could 'prove' that they had been to the polling both: in other words, people going to the polling both to gain their freedoms, rather than the other way around.

 

[Genersis]

Err, correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the Poll Tax a flat tax that applied to all British adults(bar a few nuances)?
Ergo completely unrelated to elections?
It was replaced by the current Council Tax system(which is similar to Poll Tax's predecessor)

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

That's not what I meant. Republicans are VASTLY outnumbered in registration and allegiance. That's been the case for decades, and is true now more than ever. However, Republicans tend to ACTUALLY COME OUT TO VOTE in much bigger numbers than Democrats. If you could actually get all the Democrats to vote, or even 60% of them, it'd be statistically IMPOSSIBLE for Republicans to win.

Not sure what you mean about spelling. Most liberals I know are VERY good at English. It's the toothless redneck tea party folks in my neck of the woods that can barely string a sentence along!

The young liberal punks that can't spell correctly or complete simple math will look at who isn't a bigot, which to them means who is pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage, and who allows them to bum out and get high, and that's who they will vote for. We would be in a world of trouble.

 

[Sword of the Lord]

Young punk liberal kids that hate religion, love abortion, love the gay life, and want to be bums. The ones so lacking in education and make you want to vomit when reading their Facebook, texts, etc. They would vote dem on the basis of WE LOVE THE GAYS alone.

 

[MoreCoffee]

sure. why not? just make people have a day off from both federal and state elections, you know, like other countries do. and still have employers compensate their employees for that day. okay?

hello?

hello?

In Australia, where voting is compulsory, elections are always held on a Saturday so no extra day off is needed.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Young punk liberal kids that hate religion, love abortion, love the gay life, and want to be bums. The ones so lacking in education and make you want to vomit when reading their Facebook, texts, etc. They would vote dem on the basis of WE LOVE THE GAYS alone.

I wonder what age ends the "Young punk" period.

Anyway, compulsory voting works well. We have it in my home land. We currently have a conservative (right wing) government.

 

[Sword of the Lord]

I wonder what age ends the "Young punk" period.

Anyway, compulsory voting works well. We have it in my home land. We currently have a conservative (right wing) government.

High school and college age, and several years after are the worst. I hate my generation.

 

[agua]

I can't see how anyone could think about this idea for more than thirty seconds and not see that if people do not want to vote, there is no way that you can force them into making a meaningful vote.

Of course having more votes to keep track, particularly from people who are voting without rhyme or reason, would make all sorts of fraud and general election corruption easier.

We have compulsory voting here in Australia and this is exectly what happens. People with no interest in politics simply vote informally ( don't fill the ballot in correctly ) or vote uninformed. Interestingly, being uninformed isn't considered a good enough reaon to abstain from voting by the Supreme Court.

 

[MoreCoffee]

High school and college age, and several years after are the worst. I hate my generation.

Yeah, I might hate your generation too

 

[SteveNZ]

How could you enforce such a thing in the US?
Here in NZ voting is voluntary.
When folk are 'brassed off' with politicians the voting turn out increases. Folk vote with their feet!

 

[Fantine]

I can't see how anyone could think about this idea for more than thirty seconds and not see that if people do not want to vote, there is no way that you can force them into making a meaningful vote.

Of course having more votes to keep track, particularly from people who are voting without rhyme or reason, would make all sorts of fraud and general election corruption easier.

And in Miami and other places in 2012, black voters stood in line for many, many hours because Governor Scott wanted to prevent them from voting by having an inadequate number of machines.

If our nation is going to err, I would rather have them err by enacting penalties for not going than to err by passing voter suppression legislation laws which are often just 'poll taxes' in disguise--aimed against people who don't have drivers' licenses, hourly and shift workers, workers who aren't allowed time off to vote and don't have paid vacation or sick time, etc.

If you don't drive and take a bus to work, you can easily lose half a day's pay taking a bus to the polls, another bus (or two) to work, etc.

I think Obama's comment was based on the idea that "Democrats want you to vote; Republicans want to prevent all but the wealthy and comfortable from being able to vote."

 

[MikeK]

I don't support mandetory voting but more should be done to encourage all eligible voters to vote. The ballot casting process should be quick, simple, widely available and virtually immediate. I know young mothers who don't vote simply because they don't want to wait in a line with young children who might bother others, that's not right. We should seek out the roadblocks that keep people from voting and address them.

 

[pdudgeon]

I don't support mandetory voting but more should be done to encourage all eligible voters to vote. The ballot casting process should be quick, simple, widely available and virtually immediate. I know young mothers who don't vote simply because they don't want to wait in a line with young children who might bother others, that's not right. We should seek out the roadblocks that keep people from voting and address them.

now that's a good idea.