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Thread: What do you vote for?

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    Administrator CatInASuit's avatar
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    Default What do you vote for?

    A vote is made out by many people to be a very important thing that can be used to express your opinion and can bring down governments if enough of you decide you don't like the current incumbents. But many people seem to feel disenfranchised by the voting process as if to say regardless of how they vote, it will have no effect.

    I have never understood why someone would not vote in an election, even if everyone else voted in a different way, because to not vote is to endorse the outcome regardless. Is it laziness, a lack of understanding or just a resignation that it doesn't matter.

    Given that the expected turnout on the current referendum in Britain is expected to be under 50%, how can you get someone to vote, other than making it illegal not to vote?

    And, of course, do you vote where you can and what for?
    In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.

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    Elen síla lumenn' omentielvo What Exit?'s avatar
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    I vote, I vote mainly as I grew up feeling it was part of my duty to country. I honestly do not have a better reason. On the large scale 1 vote does not mean a lot. But we already have a serious problem in this country of a two party system influenced unduly by more extreme groups in each party. So the more people that vote and the more that would turn out in primaries the better off the system in the long run. And yes, I even vote in the school board elections.

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    Member Elendil's Heir's avatar
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    I believe it's my duty as a citizen to vote, and I actually enjoy learning about the candidates, and going through the shared civic ritual of voting. (Yes, I'm a political junkie). Democracy won't work unless people participate. Yes, my vote may just be one among millions, but in the aggregate it really matters. For instance, in 1860, 1932, 1960, 2000 and 2008, the election of a particular person as President made an enormous difference in the history of the country, and some of those votes were very, very close.

    But I would not - as Australia does - fine those who don't vote. If you choose not to vote IMHO you're either unmotivated, apathetic, cynical, ill-informed, lazy or stupid. For any of those reasons, it's probably just as well that you don't vote.

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    The Queen Zuul's avatar
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    I feel that it's my duty as a citizen to vote as well. I feel the same way about jury duty and taxes, I guess. I might just be one person out of millions, but the millions are made up of a lot of "just one person"s.

    However, if people don't want to vote, I see no reason to force them in any way. I don't want to listen to them complain, since they gave up that right when they opted out of voting, but those who are going to be ill-informed and apathetic aren't worth bribing to vote.
    So now they are just dirt-covered English people in fur pelts with credit cards.

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    A Groupie Marsilia's avatar
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    I do my research and vote pretty much every time I know there's an election coming up. And, as weird as it sounds, I do it because it wasn't even a century ago that there was a question as to whether or not I should be allowed. So I do feel like it's a duty, not only to my country, but to the memory of the people who fought for my right to have a voice beyond my father's or hypothetical husband's.
    So, I'll whisper in the dark, hoping you'll hear me.

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    # Australia - Compulsory enrollment and voting for state and national elections for all eligible adults (18 and above). In some states local council elections are compulsory too.
    No-one would bother if it wasn't compulsory, what with the pack of arseholes that run for office in this country.

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    Member Elendil's Heir's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Zuul View post
    ...I don't want to listen to them complain, since they gave up that right when they opted out of voting....
    I've heard that many times before, but I disagree. Your right to bitch and moan about the government doesn't lapse because you didn't vote. You ought to have voted, and you may have no moral standing to bitch and moan after having played no role in the selection of those who govern you, but you can lawfully still be just as ignorantly opinionated as anyone else.

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    The Queen Zuul's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Elendil's Heir View post
    I've heard that many times before, but I disagree. Your right to bitch and moan about the government doesn't lapse because you didn't vote. You ought to have voted, and you may have no moral standing to bitch and moan after having played no role in the selection of those who govern you, but you can lawfully still be just as ignorantly opinionated as anyone else.
    Fair enough. It's not losing a right, but I would view it as losing the moral high ground.
    So now they are just dirt-covered English people in fur pelts with credit cards.

  9. #9
    Administrator CatInASuit's avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by Elendil's Heir View post
    Quote Originally posted by Zuul View post
    ...I don't want to listen to them complain, since they gave up that right when they opted out of voting....
    I've heard that many times before, but I disagree. Your right to bitch and moan about the government doesn't lapse because you didn't vote. You ought to have voted, and you may have no moral standing to bitch and moan after having played no role in the selection of those who govern you, but you can lawfully still be just as ignorantly opinionated as anyone else.
    There was an advertisement campaign run in Britain a couple of years ago based on precisely the point that if you didn't vote in the elections, you had no right to complain about it.

    No idea whether it worked, but I do agree with it.
    In the land of the blind, the one-arm man is king.

  10. #10
    Elen síla lumenn' omentielvo What Exit?'s avatar
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    Quote Originally posted by emjaya View post
    # Australia - Compulsory enrollment and voting for state and national elections for all eligible adults (18 and above). In some states local council elections are compulsory too.
    No-one would bother if it wasn't compulsory, what with the pack of arseholes that run for office in this country.
    I not sure they are much worse then what we usually get. I mean Bush vs. Kerry was a really horrible choice. Bush vs. Gore was pretty terrible to thanks to a terrible campaign by Gore. I ended up voting 3rd party in protest.
    Quote Originally posted by Zuul View post
    Quote Originally posted by Elendil's Heir View post
    I've heard that many times before, but I disagree. Your right to bitch and moan about the government doesn't lapse because you didn't vote. You ought to have voted, and you may have no moral standing to bitch and moan after having played no role in the selection of those who govern you, but you can lawfully still be just as ignorantly opinionated as anyone else.
    Fair enough. It's not losing a right, but I would view it as losing the moral high ground.
    I can agree with this. If you don't vote, your complaint is not as strong.

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