Voting

[bananda]

it's election year in australia and being over 18, i am legally required to vote. i'm kind of excited because i've never voted before, but at the same time i'm really dreading it. i really don't want to do all the research that goes with it. i dont know, maybe i'd be more willing if i wasn't being forced.

so my question is, do you think people should be required by law to vote once they turn 18? why/why not?

 

[Savikins]

In the USA people aren't required to vote, and a good majority don't. I think it should be required, but that's probably unconstitutional in some way.

 

[IWasBornToLoveDisney]

In no way should you be forced to vote. I mean some people that don't want to be voting probably just pick whoevers name sounds the best. It should be a choice so that if you're going in to vote, it's for a reason. You shouldn't vote just because.

 

[WestCOT]

guys, voting is compulsory in australia whether you like it or not. quit saying that she shouldn't be forced to vote. obviously she shouldn't, nobody should, but that's the law there.

i say if you like the way things are in australia, vote for rudd, because he's the prime minister right now. if you don't like the way things are, and want a change, vote for abbott. it's easy.

 

[Sparx]

I do not think we should be required to vote, but I think voting should be easier. In the united states you have to go out of your way to vote (show up at a certain place at a certain time, wait in line, have your card, etc).

There probably really isn't an easier way to do it but in Research Methods we're taught to have our information that we need with us when we ask people questions. People will not go to a website and fill out your survey. People will not call you on the phone to fill out a survey. If you walk up to them with one, however, they most likely will give you answers.

Its just not human (american?) nature to go out of your way for something that you don't deem to really affect your personal existence. The average consensus with the general populous is that things never change and all politicians are the same. It doesn't matter WHO is president, likely it won't change your personal day to day activities. If this is true or not remains to be seen, however a lot of people feel this way (even if they don't admit it.)

Think about American Idol, I believe the last statistic I heard was almost 50x the amount of people voted in a certain american idol finale as voted in the 08 election. The 08 election had a higher voter turn out than any election in american history, too for that thats worth.

The two populations in american history that have had to fight tooth and nail for the right to vote are the two most unlikely to vote. Black/minorities and Women. We have fought for years, many times violently, for our right to be counted equally. And yet, we don't vote.

Voting should not be compulsory, but if there is any way to make voting more accessible to the public it should be implemented.

 

[PirateSnowmen]

guys, voting is compulsory in australia whether you like it or not. quit saying that she shouldn't be forced to vote. obviously she shouldn't, nobody should, but that's the law there.

i say if you like the way things are in australia, vote for rudd, because he's the prime minister right now. if you don't like the way things are, and want a change, vote for abbott. it's easy.

It was a part of her original post. She asked if people should be forced to vote or not.

I do not think we should be required to vote, but I think voting should be easier. In the united states you have to go out of your way to vote (show up at a certain place at a certain time, wait in line, have your card, etc).

Voting should not be compulsory, but if there is any way to make voting more accessible to the public it should be implemented.

I agree. Not to mention how it can be a hassle just to REGISTER to vote.

I don't think you should be required to vote. I would rather have knowledgeable people voting, even if it meant lower voting turnout, than people who are forced to show up and pick a candidate without knowing who they are or what they stand for.

In fact, in my senior government class there was a kid who, ON INAUGURATION DAY, had NO CLUE who Barack Obama was. Not a single clue. WHY would I want someone like him voting?

 

[Sparx]

It was a part of her original post. She asked if people should be forced to vote or not.



I agree. Not to mention how it can be a hassle just to REGISTER to vote.

I don't think you should be required to vote. I would rather have knowledgeable people voting, even if it meant lower voting turnout, than people who are forced to show up and pick a candidate without knowing who they are or what they stand for.

In fact, in my senior government class there was a kid who, ON INAUGURATION DAY, had NO CLUE who Barack Obama was. Not a single clue. WHY would I want someone like him voting?

All I did was sign a paper when I renewed my Driver's License when I turned 18. Is it different where you are?

 

[IWasBornToLoveDisney]

guys, voting is compulsory in australia whether you like it or not. quit saying that she shouldn't be forced to vote. obviously she shouldn't, nobody should, but that's the law there.

Yeesh! What is your deal? I stated my opinion, "whether you like it or not."

And "quit saying..." I was the only one that said it at that point!

It was a part of her original post. She asked if people should be forced to vote or not.

Thank you!

 

[PirateSnowmen]

All I did was sign a paper when I renewed my Driver's License when I turned 18. Is it different where you are?

No, you can do that here, as long as the person offers it. I think the person at the DMV/DPS/whatever you want to call it is supposed to offer it, but he didn't with me. One of my friends did it when she went to renew her license, and one wasn't offered the option (like me). Did that even make sense?

I had to do a research paper in my government class this past semester about why people don't vote, and one of the main reasons is because some people see it as too much of a hassle to register.

 

[Sparx]

No, you can do that here, as long as the person offers it. I think the person at the DMV/DPS/whatever you want to call it is supposed to offer it, but he didn't with me. One of my friends did it when she went to renew her license, and one wasn't offered the option (like me). Did that even make sense?

I had to do a research paper in my government class this past semester about why people don't vote, and one of the main reasons is because some people see it as too much of a hassle to register.

I think you have to ask for it. I had just turned 18 and wanted my unrestricted license and I saw a sign on the wall that said we should register to vote too, which reminded me that I wasn't. So I asked the guy at the desk and I signed a paper, and it showed up in my mailbox a few weeks later.

 

[PirateSnowmen]

I think you have to ask for it. I had just turned 18 and wanted my unrestricted license and I saw a sign on the wall that said we should register to vote too, which reminded me that I wasn't. So I asked the guy at the desk and I signed a paper, and it showed up in my mailbox a few weeks later.

You're probably right, and I probably would have if I was thinking about it. It's really not a hassle (to me) to just print the form, fill it out, and send it in the mail, but to some people it really is. I actually haven't registered to vote yet - there hasn't been anything for me to vote in. I left for college (out of state) right after I turned 18, and I just haven't registered yet. Thanks to this thread, I'll probably send off the form tomorrow

 

[Sparx]

You're probably right, and I probably would have if I was thinking about it. It's really not a hassle (to me) to just print the form, fill it out, and send it in the mail, but to some people it really is. I actually haven't registered to vote yet - there hasn't been anything for me to vote in. I left for college (out of state) right after I turned 18, and I just haven't registered yet. Thanks to this thread, I'll probably send off the form tomorrow

I was sent a letter about my voting time/place during the local elections but I was still really new here and I didn't know anything about the candidates so I didn't vote.

 

[PirateSnowmen]

I was sent a letter about my voting time/place during the local elections but I was still really new here and I didn't know anything about the candidates so I didn't vote.

Yeah - there were local elections, but I was gone for school. Honestly, I never really know anything about the people running for local elections - I've never really payed attention that much.

 

[bananda]

It was a part of her original post. She asked if people should be forced to vote or not.

i was going to post almost exactly this, but with "i" instead of "she" so thanks for saving me the trouble

the way i registered, people came into my school when i was in yr11. we had to fill out this form hand it back to them. then they sent us a letter. i guess i should try and find it. i haven't really needed it until now.

and in reply to WestCOT, its not as simple as just voting based on the way things are now. if i was to do that, i would not ever vote for kevin rudd. he put australia in debt with his pointless stimulus packages and jetsetting around the world for no apparent reason. however, i might agree with what his party stands for more than i agree with the liberal party. i think people should really look into that before they vote.

 

[chisnpeke]

In the USA people aren't required to vote, and a good majority don't. I think it should be required, but that's probably unconstitutional in some way.

Requiring people to vote would allow all the idiots who shouldn't be voting in the first place to vote. They are allowed already of course but since they don't care they don't vote. Why would you want a bunch of apathetic people to choose who runs the country?

 

[Axel]

It shouldn't be compulsory.

It's the people that WANT to vote that are the ones paying enough attention (most of the time) to make informed decisions on who they're voting for.

That said, I probably won't vote until I'm out of college. Right now I'm away from home for school most of the year and therefore I don't get to see anything in regards to local campaigns (although, there's a few people that I don't know HOW they keep getting re-elected). My license doesn't expire until I'm 21 anyway, so I'll just do it then. By then I'll be out of school and at least partially settled down somewhere (hopefully).

 

[Cinderella90210]

I think everyone should vote but I dont think anyone should be made too... it just annoys me when people complain about it all and then they haven't even voted so they don't really have a right to complain because they never had their say when they got the chance.

It was election this year too in UK and I turned 18 a week before so could vote... I think woman should be told to vote though maybe, because of all the emancipation of the women back in the 1900s sometime... to get us the opportunity to vote. So I think we should otherwise they're suffering was kind of for nothing then.

 

[Sparx]

It shouldn't be compulsory.

It's the people that WANT to vote that are the ones paying enough attention (most of the time) to make informed decisions on who they're voting for.

That said, I probably won't vote until I'm out of college. Right now I'm away from home for school most of the year and therefore I don't get to see anything in regards to local campaigns (although, there's a few people that I don't know HOW they keep getting re-elected). My license doesn't expire until I'm 21 anyway, so I'll just do it then. By then I'll be out of school and at least partially settled down somewhere (hopefully).

Our license laws change when you're 18 (there are no restrictions anymore) and the shape/design changes, so I wanted to update mine when I turned 18. It wouldn't have expired for five years otherwise, I just wanted to update it, lol.

 

[PirateSnowmen]

Our license laws change when you're 18 (there are no restrictions anymore) and the shape/design changes, so I wanted to update mine when I turned 18. It wouldn't have expired for five years otherwise, I just wanted to update it, lol.

Our license shape/design changes when we turn 21, but once you're 18 your license doesn't expire for 6 years. Unless I just go get a new license when I'm 21, I'll have "Under 21" plastered at the top of my license until I'm 24

 

[Sparx]

Our license shape/design changes when we turn 21, but once you're 18 your license doesn't expire for 6 years. Unless I just go get a new license when I'm 21, I'll have "Under 21" plastered at the top of my license until I'm 24

We have a big red bar next to our photograph that says "UNDER 21 UNTIL ___/___/___" the only thing that changes between 18 and 21 is that they take the bar away, but the orientation and color of the license switches between 17/18. and there is a big yellow bar next to the big red bar between 15/16.