Perhaps Voting should be compulsory for ages over 16?
Or is that too much pressure on people who don't know who to vote for?
2007-10-24 12:59:04 · 21 answers · asked by tomzo007 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Elections
Voting is a choice. Personally I think making it mandatory for people to vote will cause more problems that it would solve. At least the people who take the time to vote now have some understanding of what they are doing, and what they are voting for.
Brazil has a mandatory vote law. 97% turnout rate.
2007-10-24 13:03:05 · answer #1 · answered by Michele 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
All people should vote! There is almost no excuse for not voting! If you want to vote but have a handicap, there is someone who will see that you either get to the voting place, or see that you get a mail-in vote that you can just put into the mail box for your post person to pick up & see that it gets to the post office! You can call either party & they will see that you get to vote! I believe the voting age is 18 & you must be registered before you can vote. It's been a long time since I had to think about how old one has to be to vote!!!
2007-10-24 13:08:43 · answer #2 · answered by geegee 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Having the right to vote also means having the right to abstain. I haven't voted in an election yet but not because I was too lazy. Either I wasn't concerned about what was on the ballot or I didn't believe any of the people running for office was representative of my views. I certainly won't be throwing my vote away just to say I voted or for some stupid "Anybody but 'fill in the blank'. I believe it means more than that.
-S-
2007-10-24 13:06:03 · answer #3 · answered by abbefarialit 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, not at all.
Its our opportunity, to have a say in the way in which society should be governed.
Democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people.
It's your right. Young people, women and underrepresented groups all fought hard for the right to vote. And even today there are countries where people are still dying for the right to vote.
If you don't vote, someone else will.
However I can't imagine that many sixteen year olds have a grasp of politics.
2007-10-25 05:22:50 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The point of any right (or freedom) is the ability to choose -- making voting mandatory infringes on that freedom as much as making voting prohibited.
But push that aside -- if people really don't want to support either of the two dominant candidates -- and the US has basically been corrupted into a two-party system -- then forcing people to vote when they don't want to will just produce crazy results -- since many will vote for unpopular candidates as a form of protest.
You want to increase voter turnout -- make election day a national holiday where people don't have to go to work -- that will significantly increase turnout.
2007-10-24 13:03:20 · answer #5 · answered by coragryph 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I would worry about making it compulsory as there are so many people who don't look at the whole picture,
I always vote as my grandmother made it clear to me just what people did go through to get the vote, particularly for women. She was a suffragette.
2007-10-24 13:43:52 · answer #6 · answered by suzy c 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's personal choice, I sometimes vote but over the past 30 years I bet I've only been about 8 times. I don't trust politicians at local or government level, it is my opinion that most of them are only in it for personal glory, free meals and a huge expence account. They are not really interested in what "the people" want, I'd love to think otherwise, but I'm yet to be proven wrong by seeing a politician keep his/her promises and do something for the good of the community instead of feathering his own nest or protecting his/her future.
2007-10-24 13:10:59 · answer #7 · answered by Muzikman 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Freedom protects your right to vote or not, but I only want people voting who actually have a clue. Otherwise, stay home and watch the news coverage. Oh, wait, you didn't vote because you don't have a clue and/or don't care. It's a great idea to let me choose for you. Keep it up!
2007-10-24 15:03:07 · answer #8 · answered by hmon20002000 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, because there might be no-one you want to vote for. You'd be voting for someone you don't like.
Making it compulsory to go to the polls is fine, though, if there's an "abstain" box on the paper.
2007-10-24 13:13:04 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
People have the right not to vote, but I have noticed that the ones who complain the most about elected officials are the ones who don't vote. If you don't vote, you don't have the right to complain.
2007-10-24 13:49:59 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋