How to combat non voters...

[Big Blue Machine]

Give them money for voting. Entice them to do something good. I don't think we should fine people for not voting.

[Charles Anthony]

Give them money for voting.

Where have you been??? What do you think our politician are doing anyway???

Get ready:

Entice them to do something good. I don't think we should fine people for not voting.

I do not think we should fine people for not voting either but I do not think it is realistic to identify voting as doing something good.

This thread should be in the Moral & Religious Issues section. It is an easy argument to say that voting is doing something that is bad. Of course, that all depends on what you call good. What do you call good?

[geoffrey]

I'd rather have more people not vote. Those that don't want to vote are generally too ignorant of the issues to bother.

I'd rather not be ruled by ignorant idiots. Voting should be harder, only those very dedicated and interested in politics should be involved. That way, we get intelligent people elected on intelligent platforms. Not porkbarrel handouts to the population.

[Charles Anthony]

I'd rather have more people not vote.

Me too. Those that do vote are generally people who want free-lunches, pie-in-the-sky promises and handouts. They are also usually very gullible.

Those that don't want to vote are generally too ignorant of the issues to bother.

You forgot people who think it is immoral to force or impose their wishes on their fellow man.

I'd rather not be ruled by ignorant idiots.

Would you rather be ruled by people who want to steal your money and tell you how to live your life?

Voting should be harder, only those very dedicated and interested in politics should be involved. That way, we get intelligent people elected on intelligent platforms.

Politics caters to people who like to be bossy but do not like to be accountable. Those are the people who get elected and (after you see through all of the smoke and mirrors) those are the platforms that you get.

Not porkbarrel handouts to the population.

In what country do you live?

[geoffrey]

Me too. Those that do vote are generally people who want free-lunches, pie-in-the-sky promises and handouts. They are also usually very gullible.

Yup.

You fogot people who think it is immoral to force or impose their wishes on their fellow man.

I guess so. Though I suspect these people are a very small group, maybe less than 500 across the country.

Would you rather be ruled by people who want to steal your money and tell you how to live your life?

It's the nature of the beast called civilization. Personally, I just don't listen to what they say unless it's morally comprehendable in my terms. Most people are puppets and need to be, society wouldn't function without pawns to be controlled by those more wise than them.

About stealing my money, I don't like how the government spends my money now, so I tend to vote for those that wish to spend it better. You still pay taxes though Charles, they are stealing it anyways (and have a legal right to do so, moral or not) and by not voting, your mearly giving carte blanche to the system.

Politics caters to people who like to be bossy but do not like to be accountable. Those are the people who get elected and (after you see through all of the smoke and mirrors) those are the platforms that you get.

Yup, not voting sure will improve accountablity...

Not porkbarrel handouts to the population.

In what country do you live?

If the ignorant population didn't vote, elections would be decided on real issues and not just handouts to big groups of lock-step marching minorities.

[jbg]

Not sure if it's a good idea, but in Australia voting is mandatory. I believe failure to vote leads to the death penalty but I'm not sure.

[geoffrey]

Not sure if it's a good idea, but in Australia voting is mandatory. I believe failure to vote leads to the death penalty but I'm not sure.

It's a nominal fine of a few dollars, not death.

[jbg]

Not sure if it's a good idea, but in Australia voting is mandatory. I believe failure to vote leads to the death penalty but I'm not sure.

It's a nominal fine of a few dollars, not death.

Oh drats. I thought they had kangaroos, in their system of "kangaroo courts" kick non-voters to death.

[Slavik44]

It wouldn't really be paying people to vote, it would be returning their money, where do you think the government gets the money in the first place? Sounds like bottle return payments, maybe people who don't want to vote could just leave voter cards laying on the street and then I could walk around and collect other people's right to vote.

[jdobbin]

What they should do is make it easier to vote.

Vote online. Vote using your TV. Vote using the phone. Vote in advance.

We do our banking online, why not our voting? Stop making the weather an excuse or that the distance to the polling booth is keeping people away from voting.

If everyone had a pin number, just vote when and how you want to.

[Riverwind]

It wouldn't really be paying people to vote, it would be returning their money, where do you think the government gets the money in the first place?

Elections Canada already uses the income tax system to keep the voters list up to date. It should be pretty simple introduce a refundable tax credit for people who vote.

[geoffrey]

What they should do is make it easier to vote.

Vote online. Vote using your TV. Vote using the phone. Vote in advance.

We do our banking online, why not our voting? Stop making the weather an excuse or that the distance to the polling booth is keeping people away from voting.

If everyone had a pin number, just vote when and how you want to.

e-Governance has potential in making involvement more direct. One could theoretically have a complete direct democracy run from a website where people vote on petitions with enough support from the general public. I think there are a few political games on the internet that work on this theory, it could be applied to a real nation as long as internet access was equal throughout the country, which is idealistic at best.

Cool idea, not within the next few years at least.

It wouldn't really be paying people to vote, it would be returning their money, where do you think the government gets the money in the first place?

Elections Canada already uses the income tax system to keep the voters list up to date. It should be pretty simple introduce a refundable tax credit for people who vote.

It would be an interesting concept, and would certainly encourage many to vote. This is only as good of an idea as increased voter turnout is. I still insist the more people vote, the more the focus is on superficial porkbarrel spending and less of a focus is on the real issue that impact people's lives.

[Charles Anthony]

I still insist the more people vote, the more the focus is on superficial porkbarrel spending and less of a focus is on the real issue that impact people's lives.

Let me get this straight.

You think that the non-voters are the more demanding people. How do you figure so?

[jbg]

What they should do is make it easier to vote.

Is voting all that hard? I personally drive about 300 meters out of my way on the way to work, vote, and go to work. How much harder is it really than that for most people?

[jdobbin]

What they should do is make it easier to vote.

Is voting all that hard? I personally drive about 300 meters out of my way on the way to work, vote, and go to work. How much harder is it really than that for most people?

Apparently too hard because this one of the reasons people give for not voting. If they have to wait in line, park in an unfamiliar spot, drive to an unfamilira area, vote on a day that doesn't suit them.

Some people will make this claim this no matter what option is given them but one thing is certain, voting remains an old technology driven business. Time to jump to the future technology.

[Riverwind]

Apparently too hard because this one of the reasons people give for not voting. If they have to wait in line, park in an unfamiliar spot, drive to an unfamilira area, vote on a day that doesn't suit them.

People that make excuses like that probably shouldn't vote anyways. If people are too lazy to exercise their right to vote then they should just accept that the decisions on who should run things will be made by people that are willing to get off their butts and put up with a little inconvenience.

[jdobbin]

People that make excuses like that probably shouldn't vote anyways. If people are too lazy to exercise their right to vote then they should just accept that the decisions on who should run things will be made by people that are willing to get off their butts and put up with a little inconvenience.

Probably true. But maybe you could reach more young voters by making it possible to vote from the cell phones.

They already vote for Canadian Idol that way. Why not Canadian politics?

[Riverwind]

They already vote for Canadian Idol that way. Why not Canadian politics?

Because there has to be a reliable paper trail to go back to if there is a dispute over the results. The electronic voting machines in the US have caused numerous problems and controversies.

[jdobbin]

Because there has to be a reliable paper trail to go back to if there is a dispute over the results. The electronic voting machines in the US have caused numerous problems and controversies.

Paper ballots can cause just as much controversy.

The key is security of your personal vote. If that can be overcome, I think the system could work.

[geoffrey]

I still insist the more people vote, the more the focus is on superficial porkbarrel spending and less of a focus is on the real issue that impact people's lives.

Let me get this straight.

You think that the non-voters are the more demanding people. How do you figure so?

No, I think the average non-invovled Canadian will be more easily swayed by ridiculous spending then someone that deeply understands the issues.

[Charles Anthony]

No, I think the average non-invovled Canadian will be more easily swayed by ridiculous spending then someone that deeply understands the issues.

Therefore, everybody is better off if those people do not vote. Is that what you are saying?

Please tell me this: why do you defend democracy?

Because there has to be a reliable paper trail to go back to if there is a dispute over the results. The electronic voting machines in the US have caused numerous problems and controversies.

Paper ballots can cause just as much controversy.

Please explain how paper ballots can cause just as much controversy.

The key is security of your personal vote. If that can be overcome, I think the system could work.

No, it can not work if there is no way to verify or confirm the results.

Furthermore, the majority of people in the world use personal computers with operating systems that can not even secure its own data. Why are you so trusting of electronic voting??? You are giving people like me more reason to laugh at democracy.

I just thought of this great idea on how to combat non-voters: give them something real for which to vote.

[jdobbin]

Please explain how paper ballots can cause just as much controversy.

Furthermore, the majority of people in the world use personal computers with operating systems that can not even secure its own data. Why are you so trusting of electronic voting??? You are giving people like me more reason to laugh at democracy.

I just thought of this great idea on how to combat non-voters: give them something real for which to vote.

Controversy regarding paper ballots:

Ballot stuffing

Ballot design

Long ballots

Short ballots

Proposition ballots

As I mentioned, the system could only go through with secure measures.

But one thing: Doesn't the conservative party select its leader through a phone ballot? Hmm.

[WestViking]

But one thing: Doesn't the conservative party select its leader through a phone ballot? Hmm.

Nope. Don't do that. And as an RO for the last Leadership vote, I woudld know.

[uOttawaMan]

Apparently too hard because this one of the reasons people give for not voting. If they have to wait in line, park in an unfamiliar spot, drive to an unfamilira area, vote on a day that doesn't suit them.

People that make excuses like that probably shouldn't vote anyways. If people are too lazy to exercise their right to vote then they should just accept that the decisions on who should run things will be made by people that are willing to get off their butts and put up with a little inconvenience.

Don't be silly.. Canadians clearly want the government to stay out of everything and fix everything at the same time. It surely can't be that hard?

[geoffrey]

No, I think the average non-invovled Canadian will be more easily swayed by ridiculous spending then someone that deeply understands the issues.

Therefore, everybody is better off if those people do not vote. Is that what you are saying?

Please tell me this: why do you defend democracy?

Democracy has it's flaws, one is that we are constantly ruled by an ignorant majority. Discouraging all those that don't have an interest and knowledge about the current political situation would take a step to end that. Encouraging more people to vote just mobilizes the apathetic to vote for whoever entertainment tonight said was the hottest leader or what not.