Should voting be compulsory in the UK (like it is in Australia)?

Question

Non voters are either too idle to walk to the polling Station, or too lazy to take any interest in civil matters. Should they be compelled to perform their civic responsibilities?

(Note: abstainers, if they are genuine, would spoil their ballot paper, so that is is counted - but I suspect that most who claim that they don't agree with any of them are simply in the too idle category).

Answer 1

It certainly should be illegal to accept 'non-voters' for any reason. We are even given the choice to vote in many ways now and still the %of votes is low compared to the popullation. More annoying is that on a daily basis we get people complaining about different things in society and ask them if they voted, the reply is all to often "no they are all the same - its a waste of time etc., etc., So yes, if we were to bring a penalty in of even just five pounds (which should be given back to the community) I am sure that the % of voters would then increase - hence we could all have a say of what is happening with a so called "true voice".

Answer 2

Why isn't the turnout 100% if it's compulsory? The trouble with forcing people to vote is that you get uninterested people voting who'll just tick any box so they don't get fined. Australian ballot papers used to show the candidates in alphabetical order but now it's random, because uninterested people would just number the paper from top to bottom, making it an advantage for any candidate to have a surname beginning with A. It's far better to allow people to vote only if they want to, and not voting is also exercising your democratic rights - in this case, the right to choose "I don't care who wins". In which case, you have no right to complain if you don't like the result. A low turnout also tells the politicians something - what are they doing wrong, that people aren't interested? There's an interesting example of that - the UK's current government introduced directly elected police commissioners last year, and the turnout was under 15%! The government hadn't done enough to publicise what was going on and why we should be directly electing police commissioners when nobody was really concerned about there being anything wrong with the previous system.

Answer 3

No.

You say this - Non voters are either too idle to walk to the polling Station, or too lazy to take any interest in civil matters. Should they be compelled to perform their civic responsibilities?

Who are you to decide what people feel. If `anyone` decides not to vote, it is their `right!`.

And you should honour that right. Or does it not fit into your facist way of life?

Answer 4

Well, I rest on the non compulsory side, at least those who vote are genuin, !!! we need more input to make people aware
of whats going on !!...those OAP's we take to the polling station,usually vote for who has picked them up !!..............younger people must be made aware of what the Government are doing, and vote, HOWEVER, at the moment
many of our younger people have nothing to feel good bout !
let alone look forward too !!.. I am writing this, whilst in the
background, my TV is on and a film called 'THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW' errrrr how true is this !!!! Unless we all get a grip, all Nations, Creeds and the God bashers, we are all gonna be OUTER HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 5

Yes maby it should be. Its the ones who dont vote are the ones that do all the bloody moaning about the elected government. They are the ones who say ''Whats the point of voteing'' Yet they have the chance to change a government. They say '' Their all the same anyway'' Yet they wont answer you whan you ask them whats the alternative '' Communism, I wonder what kind of lives they would live then.. They at least can criticise the democratacly elected Government without being locked up for doing so. Try Communism and see how they get on . No say, no change, put up and shut up, I dont think so.. Not voting is anti Democratic and to protect our Democracy I say yes to compulsory voting..

Answer 6

Surely in a democracy any person who wants to abstain from voting has that funamental right ? A lot of young people have no interest in politics so perhaps schools could teach them how our forebears fought and died for that right. What if you are a right or left wing extremist, which party ( except for the abhorrent BNP ) could you vote for ?

Answer 7

Lets face it what really have we got to vote for re political parties. They are all as corrupt as each other, out only to further their own ends and personal well being. We need proportional representation then the country can really get the government it wants but the 2 main parties don't want that because it would see their power diminish and their personal wealth. Mr Blair is doing well, 5 properties is it, who knows what he'll earn when he finally goes.

Whats he left us with? So my answer is NO

Answer 8

No; it's like National Service, you don't want pressed men in the ranks (unless absolutely crucial). Ditto with enforced voting - if people are so lazy and pig ignorant to neglect their civic duty can you imagine the sh*t they'd get up to in the polling booth? Nick Griffin in Number 10, anyone?

Answer 9

I think you have to put it into perspective. People aren't 'too lazy' to vote, they're just disillusioned with national politics. Voter turnout is a good way of measuring the people's interest in politics, should people uninterested in politics be allowed to vote in the first place?

Answer 10

What about people like me who think that it is all one rigged mindf**k and we actually will not take part in such rigged rubbish. You have a choice of two parties, both make new rules that you don't like. No new rules are ever thrown out by the incoming party. What IS guaranteed though is the increasing financial burden on the people. I say s*d that c**p!