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AIBU?

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Original poster

To believe that people should have to pass a test to vote?

173 replies

ZanyWriter · 07/02/2025 17:27

If you can’t understand basic political issues or policies, why should your vote count as much as someone who does? AIBU to think voting shouldn’t be a universal right?

OP posts:
jasminethecat · 07/02/2025 21:16

YABVU, everyone has the right to a vote.

I think jurors should have to pass a test though.

I2amonlyhereforTheBeer · 07/02/2025 21:15

How do you figure out who does and who doesn't? Who is responsible for 'testing' people. How much is it going to cost? The country's got no money. Sorry, awful idea.

tobee · 07/02/2025 21:14

Good question @SerendipityJane 🤔

OonaStubbs · 07/02/2025 21:12

Anyone voting for a right-wing party is clearly too STUPID to be allowed to vote.

Only educated people with critical thinking skills should have the vote.

SerendipityJane · 07/02/2025 21:08

Bjorkdidit · 07/02/2025 18:45

This. Brexit would have never happened if they simply disregarded the vote from anyone who couldn't select the correct definition of a third country in a multiple choice question.

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There was no legal compunction to honour the vote. There should have been - because it would have meant the campaign would have been subject to much stricter regulation. At least requiring a supermajority before anything would happen.

MissTrip82 · 07/02/2025 21:07

Are you sure you’d pass OP?

Democracy isn’t about the intelligent, the educated, the informed. It’s about the numbers. A party needs to attract and pull a majority of the numbers. That’s it.

Switcher · 07/02/2025 21:00

TheNinkyNonkyIsATardis · 07/02/2025 17:44

I think that voting should consist of a "which policy do you agree with" quiz, and you find out who you voted for after. And if a policy isn't supported by a majority, you have to go through extra steps to go ahead with it.

Ooh I quite like that! Bit like the Swiss

JandamiHash · 07/02/2025 20:59

Ridiculous. Even stupid people have the right to live in a democracy. Also how would you test a persons intelligence?

HebeHerbivore · 07/02/2025 20:57

Not coming back to argue your case @ZanyWriter ?

OneAmberFinch · 07/02/2025 19:36

tobee · 07/02/2025 17:50

No taxation without representation!

No representation without taxation!

HebeHerbivore · 07/02/2025 19:34

Sunhatweather · 07/02/2025 19:19

I bet I can guess your political persuasion from your question, OP 😁

100%

Stepfordian · 07/02/2025 19:34

No, we all have to live in this country so we should all be able to vote for the government, if the politicians aren’t clear about what they’ll do in power then they will be held to account at the next vote.

Sunhatweather · 07/02/2025 19:19

I bet I can guess your political persuasion from your question, OP 😁

BatchCookBabe · 07/02/2025 19:16

GreenYellowBrown · 07/02/2025 19:14

Maybe it would be easier for the OP if everyone wrote her a letter telling her who they’re voting for. She can advise the people who are voting the same as her that their votes are allowed and tell everyone else to bog off 🙄 🙄

😂

GreenYellowBrown · 07/02/2025 19:14

Maybe it would be easier for the OP if everyone wrote her a letter telling her who they’re voting for. She can advise the people who are voting the same as her that their votes are allowed and tell everyone else to bog off 🙄 🙄

BatchCookBabe · 07/02/2025 19:10

What a daft thread. I am willing to bet you're left wing too @ZanyWriter and reckon anyone who is right wing, or even right of centre, is 'wrong.'

About everything. 🙄

Seriously, I doubt that a right wing/right of centre person would create such a stupid nonsensical thread.

Also, I bet you don't come back to this goady thread! Wink

Tiredalwaystired · 07/02/2025 19:01

Hadalifeonce · 07/02/2025 17:59

My DB has learning difficulties, and there is no way he should be allowed to vote. He has no understanding of what policies are, let alone how they may affect him or his life. He doesn't understand politics to any degree at all, he can't even run his own life.

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As does my cousin. And he chooses to. As is his RIGHT.

AgnesX · 07/02/2025 18:49

People take tests to drive, then pass and still behave like arseholes.

Presumably passing the politics test doesn't include the ability to be deliberately disgenuous?

Errors · 07/02/2025 18:49

Bjorkdidit · 07/02/2025 18:45

This. Brexit would have never happened if they simply disregarded the vote from anyone who couldn't select the correct definition of a third country in a multiple choice question.

Show quote history

Agree!

arethereanyleftatall · 07/02/2025 18:48

I don't think op was referring to those who simply vote a different way to her.

But rather those that literally have not got a clue. Those that do not know even the first thing about what each party stands for.

Bjorkdidit · 07/02/2025 18:45

MeganM3 · 07/02/2025 18:09

Maybe not a test as such. But I do think people should have to at least be aware of the basics and have some idea of what they're voting for.

This. Brexit would have never happened if they simply disregarded the vote from anyone who couldn't select the correct definition of a third country in a multiple choice question.

InformEducateEntertain · 07/02/2025 18:44

There are lots of so called intelligent people who make idiotic choices at the ballot box.

I sort of agree with you OP but it's just not practical given the fundamental premise of democracy.

RhaenysRocks · 07/02/2025 18:43

We wouldn't let someone with no idea how to drive behind a wheel, or someone with no training yank out a tooth. Why do we allow people with no understanding of the most basic policies wield a vote? It could be an incredibly simple multi choice test at the polling station, done in the booth on an iPad followed by the vote or not. That way noone would know if you'd passed or failed. I'm talking literally, which party wants to introduce X policy ...all wording lifted from manifestos so no twisting of policies. It can be available in multiple formats, translations etc to make it as inclusive as possible..and I'm afraid I do think someone with such LD as cannot comprehend the most basic parts of the system should probably not be able to vote. And please don't chuck around Nazis references. It's lazy and utterly lacking in nuance. Hopefully their families and close friends would use their votes appropriately. Either that or some kind of proxy system but that would be hard to police.

Gwenhwyfar · 07/02/2025 18:43

CheeseCakeSunflowers · 07/02/2025 18:17

I don't agree but I think I get where you might be coming from. A few days before the last General Election my colleague told me he was going to vote for Nigel Farage because he liked him on I'm a Celebrity. I did suggest that it might be best to vote based on policies but he didn't seem to understand what I meant. We are not in Nigel Farage's constituency, I'm not sure if he realised that.

Oh there's a lot of this. The most common being 'I know that name so I'll vote for them' even if the person is only well-known locally because of corruption scandals or whatever.
Better education and better media is the answer though, not suppression of the vote!

nearlylovemyusername · 07/02/2025 18:41

Fencehedge · 07/02/2025 17:29

Unfortunately an extremely sizable portion of the population are idiots, hence why the idiotic politicians are popular. It's democracy.

Absolutely agree.

There should be some IQ test to pass to be allowed to vote. At least some basic 100 should be a threshold, not talking about anything sky high.

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