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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think that voting in elections should be obligatory?

29 replies

SixImpossible · 27/05/2014 18:22

I admit that I am politically naive and may be missing something obvious, but is there any good reason why taking an active role in selecting the governance and representation of ourcountry should not be obligatory?

People always complain about every government - supposedly selected by the citizens. But only about 1/3 of citizens actually bother to cast a vote, and the winning party generally get 1/3 or less of the votes cast, which means we end up governed by a party selected by as little as 1/9 of the citizens. No wonder so many feel hard-done-by and complain!

So why is voting not part of the legally obligatory requirement of being a citizen?

OP posts:
addictedtosugar · 27/05/2014 18:27

Can I suggest you pop over here, as there is a discussion already going, with several comparisons to the Australian system. You might find it interesting.

cantbelievethisishppening · 27/05/2014 18:28

So what would you suggest if you did not care much for ANY political parties? Vote anyway? For something you don't agree with because you legally had to vote? Kind of defeats the whole objective of living in a democracy.

NessieMcFessie · 27/05/2014 20:17

I agree with this ^ It would only work if there was a 'none of the above' option.

EyesCrossedLegsAkimbo · 27/05/2014 20:39

Not every adult is capable to vote Hmm

MaximoosesMum · 27/05/2014 20:45

I didn't vote Shock
when they make it possible to vote online, I may bother...

TucsonGirl · 27/05/2014 20:48

I think you'd get even more "protest votes" if voting was made obligatory. The right to vote includes the right not to vote.

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 27/05/2014 20:53

Things not being compulsory is the essence of living in a democracy surely?

FamiliesShareGerms · 27/05/2014 20:59

I agree - though with the addition of a "none of the above" option

ForalltheSaints · 27/05/2014 21:35

As long as you can just turn up, and not receive a ballot paper if the candidates are all awful or you don't wish to vote because you are a Jehovah's Witness or some other reason, fine by me.

aquashiv · 27/05/2014 21:37

I would like to see on line voting. Most people cant be arsed after work and tired especially if you feel you are voting for another lot of the same just a different colour tie.
Not sure about obligatory though.

ArmyDad · 27/05/2014 21:38

I think you should take a test to prove that you know about what you are voting for. Lets face it some people can't be trusted.

FamiliesShareGerms · 27/05/2014 21:41

It's always possible to spoil a ballot paper if you really disagree with the process / all the candidates

Original poster
SixImpossible · 27/05/2014 21:44

Surely, though, there are many people who have an opinion, but are too apathetic to exercise that opinion, or too pessimistic to believe that their opinion makes a difference. So if they were obliged to actually present themselves at a voting station, their choice would count for something.

If you don't want to vote for any of the available candidates, you always have the option of spoiling your ballot.

Things not being compulsory is the essence of living in a democracy surely?

Education - compulsory.
Taxes - compulsory.
Restriction of smoking - compulsory.
Seatbelts - compulsory.

OP posts:
tiggytape · 27/05/2014 21:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Objection · 27/05/2014 22:17

Why?
I actively choose not to vote.

Last time I voted the coalition was bought in which, by my interpretation, was a government that NO ONE voted for - thus making my vote and everyone else's, in my opinion, pointless and invalid.

I don't see why I should spend time and money (travel costs etc) to go and participate in a system that I believe is corrupt.

Not to mention that I believe that by the time politicians are in a position to make an impact on the government, they are all corrupt and twisted; any selflessness or wish to improve the country has been squished out of them.

I am proud to have the right to vote and proud to have the choice to vote.

Objection · 27/05/2014 22:19

I also find that the topic of voting, elections and politics in general brings out the worst in people.
I don't often come across anyone who, deep down, believes that democracy should be scrapped and a dictatorship raised - with them as the dictator.

Everyone seems to know better than everyone else on these things.

Objection · 27/05/2014 22:19

*who doesn't believe

longfingernails · 28/05/2014 00:15

Why should anyone be forced to vote if they don't want to?

Original poster
SixImpossible · 28/05/2014 00:36

Why should anyone be forced to pay tax if they don't want to?
Why should anyone be forced to educate their child if they don't want to?
And so on.

Democracy is not about having complete freedom to do anything you want. That is anarchy.

I do not propose that everyone should be forced to vote, but that they should be obliged to take a ballot paper and put it in the collection box. What they do with it between-times is entirely up to them: tick one candidate, spoil it, leave it blank, etc.

Of course the coalition was not really chosen by anybody. That's my whole point! The country is being run by people that were not chosen by the vast majority of the electorate. But that's partly because the vast majority of the electorate did not vote. Of course people are apathetic and believe they have no voice. But that's because they do not choose to speak up. Turning up and voting null is a far more overt form of protest than just doing nothing.

BTW, that other thread is very interesting.

OP posts:
AgentZigzag · 28/05/2014 00:52

'Things not being compulsory is the essence of living in a democracy surely?'

Definitely agree. I love the way politics is treated in this country, always with contempt, never taken too seriously by people at large, and I'm left to have a choice about what I think privately (even though I know that's an illusion).

I'd thought about it beforehand but couldn't make up my mind one way or another until I got to the polling station, but I spoiled my ballot for the first time last week (if it was last week? Days all merged into one at the minute). I was quite surprised at myself because even though I don't have any political leanings one way or another, the shitness of who to go for this time round seemed more crap than it normally is.

I can't understand why anyone would get rankled by other people not voting, if they're adults they can make up their own minds about it. Even if you did force everyone, you'd only get another set of problems to skew the results.

shockinglybadteacher · 28/05/2014 00:54

For a start, I've got mates who don't vote on political principle and they would see being forced to turn up and sign a bit of paper - or ticking None of the Above on pain of a fine or whatever - as compliance with the State in opposition to a principle they hold very strong views on. I don't agree with them, but I respect that's their view, and I don't see what the use would be in strong-arming them all along to make them participate. Apart from to annoy all the other poor bastards at the polling station...

Secondly there's sometimes just no-one to vote for. I do usually vote but I'm from a small town and one year I just couldn't. I knew half of them standing and they were wankers, and the other half were, quite frankly, not the sanest. There was one bloke claiming he was a wizard in touch with the mystical energies of the Earth, which sounded great, but I wasn't sure how effective he'd be in government. So I withheld my X and didn't regret it, and it would have been really annoying to have been made to attend and pick from what were honestly a shocking bunch just because they were there.

ComposHat · 28/05/2014 00:55

The comparison with paying taxes and educating your child is a bogus one, both of those things directly impinge on other members of society, the only 'victim' in not voting is the person who doesn't shift themselves off the sofa to go and vote. As far as I am concerned voting should be an act undertaken consciously and freely.

How would it achieve anything meaningful if a bunch of lazy fucksticks who hadn't engaged with the democratic process enough to get to a ballot box once every five years are forced to vote under the threat of criminal sanction. How engaged are they going to be with the political process and the views of the candidates on offer? A large turnout with votes cast by an uninformed and uninterested electorate is no the sign of a healthy democracy.

Not only is it ideological flawed, it would be a logistical nightmare:
how would it be enforced? Would the police be sent round to knock on the doors on the hundreds of thousands of people who didn't bother to vote? Or would thousands of hours be wasted sending out summonses and arranging court dates? What about anarchists or religious groups who object to the concept of democracy? Or my Gran who is in the early stages of dementia but wouldn't have the wherewithal to get herself to a polling station or arrange and return a postal vote. Would you like to see her dragged into court?

ComposHat · 28/05/2014 01:04

Oh and your figures are all to cock as well op

At the last general election, the turnout was 64% (I know council and European elections have a lower turnout but that shows people make a value judgement over which elections matter to them and which they feel don't.) not the 33% you claim.

Between them the Tories and the Lib Dems got about 59% of the popular vote. So roughly 60% of the 65% who voted, voted for one of the coalition partners.

Of course seats won not the popular vote decides the election, but I wanted to demonstrate that you are wildly overstating your case.

Toadinthehole · 28/05/2014 01:11

I wouldn't want people who would otherwise not vote, voting for idiots. As the system in most countries stands, you are free not to waste your time making a false choice if you don't really mind who forms the government.

Choosing not to pay tax is, in my view, fine, if you then don't use roads hospitals, phone the police, flush the toilet, put out rubbish, or take a walk in the park.

ComposHat · 28/05/2014 01:15

I wouldn't want people who would otherwise not vote, voting for idiots. As the system in most countries stands, you are free not to waste your time making a false choice if you don't really mind who forms the government.

This