The right to vote NOT!

[°Leprechaun]

Voting is not mandated by law.
Answer my question as best you can and no whining that I haven't explained myself. You are not stupid (i hope) and can figure it all out.
And of course you have the write not to vote in this poll if you don't like the fact that you are given only two options.

[John Dibble]

Sure, and frankly I see little reason to if there are no options that come close to satisfying you unless there's a NOTA option(even then, there's not much reason to).

[°Leprechaun]

If I lived in Nevada, where they have the NOTA option,
I might vote.

I am on the other end of the country right now, however.

Not that I would mind living in Nevada.

[MaC]

People who don't vote=FF; they make my vote count for more.

[Hatman 🍁]

You have the right to go the ballot booth and check off "none of the above" but, I think voting should be mandatory, even if you do vote NOTA.

[Frodo]

I strongly encourage you not to vote at all. 

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I support a NOTA option in all states. And I'd support mandatory registration, but not voting. Certain people who don't vote should not be forced to. For example, my brother voted for Peroutka, because he didn't like Bush or Kerry, so he went with the third party guy whose name he liked the most. We'd have a lot more of such people voting if voting were mandatory, and most of the wouldn't vote NOTA (we'd have too many idiots who wouldn't be aware of what NOTA meant or would think it wouldn't count as actually voting)

[Alcon]

Option 1 and the second part of Option 2 are both true to me.

[opebo]

I would prefer that voting be required for the benefits of citizenship - in other words being recognized by courts of law, protected by the police, allowed to work, drive a car, etc.

[John Dibble]

You have the right to go the ballot booth and check off "none of the above" but, I think voting should be mandatory, even if you do vote NOTA.

Frankly, I would prefer that people who are utterly uneducated when it comes to the issues not vote at all. The portion of the population that doesn't vote is more than likely less educated on the issues and the candidates than those who care enough to vote even though they don't have to.

I would prefer that voting be required for the benefits of citizenship - in other words being recognized by courts of law, protected by the police, allowed to work, drive a car, etc.

Tell me opebo, do you really want more religious people voting? I gaurantee that's what'll happen.

[Ebowed]

Voting should not be compulsory.

[nclib]

Voting should not be compulsory.

Agreed, though it should be heavily encouraged.

It's ridiculous to not vote and then complain about the government.

[Hatman 🍁]

You have the right to go the ballot booth and check off "none of the above" but, I think voting should be mandatory, even if you do vote NOTA.

Frankly, I would prefer that people who are utterly uneducated when it comes to the issues not vote at all. The portion of the population that doesn't vote is more than likely less educated on the issues and the candidates than those who care enough to vote even though they don't have to.

Of course, it should come with better education of the system in schools, plus it would encourage people to actually take the time to educate themselves.  People don't vote because they never take the time to learn, but if they have to vote, they will realize they have to make the time or vote NOTA (which would be labelled None of the Above of course to avoid confusion)

People have to do taxes and fill out their census forms, I don't see how this would be different.

[Gabu]

People don't vote because they never take the time to learn, but if they have to vote, they will realize they have to make the time or vote NOTA (which would be labelled None of the Above of course to avoid confusion)

How does that follow?  People are generally lazy and don't do something well unless they want to.  I imagine that for many people, having to vote would be bad enough; why on earth would they want to go to even more trouble?  The reason that people try to get their taxes right is because there are big penalties if they don't.  There's nothing stopping people from making a completely uninformed decision when going to vote.

Personally, I don't particularly care if people don't vote.  If you refuse to get educated about the candidates, I even encourage you not to vote.  The point of democracy is to provide the populace with the government they desire.  If you vote for someone because they have a funny name, you're not helping anything.

[Nym90]

It shouldn't be compulsory. Candidates should be given free air time to help educate the public as to them and their positions, but no, requiring people to vote would be a bad idea.

I would support automatic registration when you obtain a driver's license or some such, however. (If you are under 18, as most people are, it would just automatically become valid on your 18th birthday.)

[Hatman 🍁]

People don't vote because they never take the time to learn, but if they have to vote, they will realize they have to make the time or vote NOTA (which would be labelled None of the Above of course to avoid confusion)

How does that follow?  People are generally lazy and don't do something well unless they want to.  I imagine that for many people, having to vote would be bad enough; why on earth would they want to go to even more trouble?  The reason that people try to get their taxes right is because there are big penalties if they don't.  There's nothing stopping people from making a completely uninformed decision when going to vote.

Howabout the election of a bad government? I'd say that would be a big penalty and should stop people from making uninformed decisions.

[Democratic Hawk]

I see voting as a civic duty and if that's good enough for me, then I'm darn sure it's good enough for everybody else

Dave

[Inverted Things]

It's ridiculous and not vote and then complain about the government.

Bullsh**t! It's completely reasonable to complain that there are only two options for most elected officials. It's further reasonable to not vote if no one on the ballot is connecting to your views. Finally, it's always reasonable to complain about the activities of the government--particularly when they affect you.

[MaC]

It's ridiculous and not vote and then complain about the government.

Bullsh**t! It's completely reasonable to complain that there are only two options for most elected officials. It's further reasonable to not vote if no one on the ballot is connecting to your views. Finally, it's always reasonable to complain about the activities of the government--particularly when they affect you.

word

[Gabu]

Howabout the election of a bad government? I'd say that would be a big penalty and should stop people from making uninformed decisions.

If the people would not vote were it not compulsory, you'd better believe that they're not going to be blaming themselves if the government is bad.

Why not just allow those people not to vote?  It'd be the same effect.

[adam]

Take an election like 1972 or 1984. What Walter Mondale or George McGovern fan would go out and wait hours to vote for them in those elections?

[Gustaf]

Eh, it is both a civic duty to vote and your right not to. It's like asking "Do I have the right to dress up in plastic bags?" and giving the options "yes" and "no, it looks stupid".

[Democratic Hawk]

It's ridiculous and not vote and then complain about the government.

Bullsh**t! It's completely reasonable to complain that there are only two options for most elected officials. It's further reasonable to not vote if no one on the ballot is connecting to your views. Finally, it's always reasonable to complain about the activities of the government--particularly when they affect you.

I agree with nclib. People who don't vote should have no grounds for complaint. They forfeited that right by not voting. If there isn't a candidate to their liking, they should either write-in or vote for the proverbial "lesser of two evils"

Dave

[adam]

I see it differently. I think that if you DO vote than you DON'T have the right to complain. If you stay home watching TV and eating, then you are not out electing the future corrupt congressman and future bad president's of this country.

For example, I use to live near Tom DeLay's district. People would complain about him all election long...and then vote for him. So I feel that those people that take the "better of two evils" have no right to complain when yet again - they elect an evil.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I see it differently. I think that if you DO vote than you DON'T have the right to complain. If you stay home watching TV and eating, then you are not out electing the future corrupt congressman and future bad president's of this country.

For example, I use to live near Tom DeLay's district. People would complain about him all election long...and then vote for him. So I feel that those people that take the "better of two evils" have no right to complain when yet again - they elect an evil.

But not if you voted against him. I voted against Bush, so I have the right to complain about him.