h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have noticed that in countries where their is a strong chance of being beaten up for going to vote, turn out in elections seems to be higher.

Perhaps this is the way of encouraging more people to participate in elections?

Do we need marauding bands of elderly ladies wielding table legs, threatening to break your legs if you don't vote Conservative?

I suggested this very same thing yesterday at my polling station.
They found it funny.....

no, yesterday was Friday wasn't it.... must have been Thursday then....

Definitely Thursday

I don't know about violence, but the Oz system (I believe) of HAVING to go and vote, even if you spoil your paper, sounds fine to me.

I know people would say it's their right not to get off their btms and go but to that I would say, 'well not if you want to live within these shores, sonny'

That's my answer, anyhow.

Jules

Yesterday was a very non descript day and I think I must have blinked and missed it

I've missed most of the week - have been in bed since Tuesday and now it's eating into the weekend

Better than I was, though, I can look at this screen for a start.

I agree Jules, I think the system of complusary voting is the way forward..

That and a valid 're open nominations option'

Whether or not all the people who say 'it's my right not to vote' would be bothered to actually protest is a different question.

I don't know about marauding grannies . But it is true that when things are easy they are taken for granted. In the west we have had the right to vote for so long that we forget how difficult it is in some places to have any say at all in government.

Personally I want to beat up a load of the people in my constituency for returning Geoffry Robinson to Parliament - AGAIN

Given the attitudes of Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams after the Northern Irish polls I think we may well see violence, Ian Paisley coming up with the memorable quote "We shall have peace when the war is over"
Such comforting words from a man of God, don't you think?
Iago

In my village there is usually quite a good turn out. Coming to vote is almost a social occasion, you meet other locals to chat to. I did a stint as a teller & it was all very amicable.

I think you have a point about taking the right to vote for granted. Also, with our current electoral system (UK), I suspect that some voters have little enthusiasm for turning out because in many areas they feel their vote will have little influence on who governs the country.

I think that may be a lot to do with it. My flatmate was commenting on the fact that turn out in a particular consituatancy was only 44%. But given that the consituatancy in question had been a Labour seat since 1935 I thought it was quite surprising that 44% of people bothered to vote.


I have to admit I'm reading the website of the Electoral Reform Society with interest and wondering about getting involved.
http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/

How many of the people who didn't vote because 'my vote doesn't matter' actually bother to join such pressure groups to try and change things.

How many of the people who didn't vote because 'my vote doesn't matter' actually bother to join such pressure groups to try and change things.

Probably none, or very few, Z. People who can't be bothered, can't be bothered!

I've lived in constituencies where I truly believed my vote didn't matter (and it didn't, in terms of changing anything) but still went and did it - to show the statisticians that the party I did vote for had me as a supporter to add to their tally.

Jules

In the States it seems that our voter turnout is even lower - I don't remember the figures at all, though - but our elections get so much hype that you can't miss it. During our last presidential election in November every single news television or radio station and the website of every single major news source in the country had a constant counter going as to which candidate had won which state. It was impossible to escape it - not that we tried, really. Then Bush won.

But the point is that it's odd, in a country where there seems to be complete and total apathy towards the system - or else we just vote for the candidate that's the best-looking - that elections should be given so much attention.

Alot of people who didn't vote this time, and made a conscious desicion not to, weren't doing it on teh basis 'that it won't count', but more that there was no one for them to vote for. At least that is the view I've heard from two friends, one of whom was a political activist back in teh 60's 70's and 80's (including spending several nights on different ocasions in custody after political ralleys marchers etc), They didn't see there was anyone left for them to vote fo; a view admitidly I totally disagree with, as they, like me had and have very very strong feelings as matters the illegal Warm IN Iraq and Affganistan, Admitidly this ment I had to go out and vote for a party I knew could not win, who I did not want to win (in terms of becomign elected government), and who's policies on the whole I largely disagree with.

Here, voting is so strategic. I can't vote, but my mother (the only one in our family who can) would rather vote for one of the small third parties, such as our Green Party. She can't, though, because strategically every vote taken away from the Democrats will increase the Republicans' lead and therefore their likelihood of winning the election.

I'd never vote for the Tories or UKIP
at the moment I'm not prepared to vote Labour
that still gave me 4 centrist or left-wing parties to choose from so I'm not convinced by the lack of choice arguement
if you want a choice that makes a difference than you can vote for a party that supports electoral reform even if you have no intention of ever voting for them again
I think compulsory voting would be a very good idea

Listening to some of the election coverage where 'the person in the street' said how they planned to vote/had voted, I was struck by the number who said 'I'm not going to vote for x because ....., so I'll vote for y instead.' Not that they thought y had really good policies.

Perhaps again it's a fault of our system that a lot of tactical or anti voting goes on.

I don't think a vote is wasted even in a constituency where the result is thought of as a foregone conclusion.
Here in North Wilts the usual Tory got back into parliament but those of us who turned up and voted Lib/Dem were at least showing that support for our party does exist here and gives an indication that there is something to build on for next time.
Compulsory voting would be a good way forward but how enforceable would it be?
I can already here the first dissenter arguing that their rights were being violated by being forced to participate.
What would be a reasonable penalty for not voting?