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Post by Red Rackham on May 6, 2024 15:51:23 GMT
I know it's been asked before, but in view of dwindling turnouts should voting now be compulsory?
It seems wrong that a party or candidate with a tiny vote share should win simply because most voters stayed at home.
Take the London mayoral election as an example: Less than one in five of the electorate voted for Khan, the majority didn't vote at all.
And that's no mandate for anything.
I'm tempted to say yes, but would it improve anything? Forcing people to vote would obviously increase turnouts, but if people felt aggrieved about compulsory voting they may as a protest spoil their ballot papers, so outcomes wouldn't change. In my opinion, and apologies if this is something of a digression, but I think tackling voting fraud is a more important issue than compulsory voting. |
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Post by Baron von Lotsov on May 6, 2024 17:48:07 GMT
I know it's been asked before, but in view of dwindling turnouts should voting now be compulsory?
It seems wrong that a party or candidate with a tiny vote share should win simply because most voters stayed at home.
Take the London mayoral election as an example: Less than one in five of the electorate voted for Khan, the majority didn't vote at all.
And that's no mandate for anything.
I'm tempted to say yes, but would it improve anything? Forcing people to vote would obviously increase turnouts, but if people felt aggrieved about compulsory voting they may as a protest spoil their ballot papers, so outcomes wouldn't change. In my opinion, and apologies if this is something of a digression, but I think tackling voting fraud is a more important issue than compulsory voting. If they really did try that and made it illegal to mess your ballot up, then I can see people putting monkeys up for election. I mean some joker dressed as a monkey or similar. They would get a good vote and would keep their deposit. |
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Post by Red Rackham on May 6, 2024 17:59:48 GMT
I'm tempted to say yes, but would it improve anything? Forcing people to vote would obviously increase turnouts, but if people felt aggrieved about compulsory voting they may as a protest spoil their ballot papers, so outcomes wouldn't change. In my opinion, and apologies if this is something of a digression, but I think tackling voting fraud is a more important issue than compulsory voting. If they really did try that and made it illegal to mess your ballot up, then I can see people putting monkeys up for election. I mean some joker dressed as a monkey or similar. They would get a good vote and would keep their deposit. Banning spoiled ballot papers would be a step too far, and besides, how would 'the authorities' know who's spoiled ballot paper they were looking at? |
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2024 18:48:29 GMT
If they really did try that and made it illegal to mess your ballot up, then I can see people putting monkeys up for election. I mean some joker dressed as a monkey or similar. They would get a good vote and would keep their deposit. Banning spoiled ballot papers would be a step too far, and besides, how would 'the authorities' know who's spoiled ballot paper they were looking at? Because each vote is traceable. When you enter the polling station they take your voters register number and write it on the back of the voting slip, don't they? Compulsory voting would check the integrity of the voters list. |
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Post by Red Rackham on May 6, 2024 18:58:04 GMT
Banning spoiled ballot papers would be a step too far, and besides, how would 'the authorities' know who's spoiled ballot paper they were looking at? Because each vote is traceable. When you enter the polling station they take your voters register number and write it on the back of the voting slip, don't they? Compulsory voting would check the integrity of the voters list. I don't know, Mrs R and I use postal voting. We don't need to, it's something we started years ago because we were away on polling day, and we just carried on with it. I'll be honest, I think postal voting should be banned unless you have a disability which prevents you getting to the polling station. |
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Post by Baron von Lotsov on May 6, 2024 19:21:06 GMT
Because each vote is traceable. When you enter the polling station they take your voters register number and write it on the back of the voting slip, don't they? Compulsory voting would check the integrity of the voters list. I don't know, Mrs R and I use postal voting. We don't need to, it's something we started years ago because we were away on polling day, and we just carried on with it. I'll be honest, I think postal voting should be banned unless you have a disability which prevents you getting to the polling station. It was probably exactly due to the turnout falling that they brought it in.
I'm with you on this. If you can't be arsed getting to the polling station then chances are you never gave it much thought or really care one way or another.
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Post by Red Rackham on May 6, 2024 23:14:59 GMT
I don't know, Mrs R and I use postal voting. We don't need to, it's something we started years ago because we were away on polling day, and we just carried on with it. I'll be honest, I think postal voting should be banned unless you have a disability which prevents you getting to the polling station. It was probably exactly due to the turnout falling that they brought it in.
I'm with you on this. If you can't be arsed getting to the polling station then chances are you never gave it much thought or really care one way or another.
Voter ID is long overdue, a good move. But as far as voter fraud via postal voting is concerned, and that's where the real fraud is, voter ID obviously makes no difference. The electoral commission are perfectly aware of what's going on, but just like grooming gangs, it's seen as 'sensitive'. |
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Post by Baron von Lotsov on May 7, 2024 3:35:42 GMT
It was probably exactly due to the turnout falling that they brought it in.
I'm with you on this. If you can't be arsed getting to the polling station then chances are you never gave it much thought or really care one way or another.
Voter ID is long overdue, a good move. But as far as voter fraud via postal voting is concerned, and that's where the real fraud is, voter ID obviously makes no difference. The electoral commission are perfectly aware of what's going on, but just like grooming gangs, it's seen as 'sensitive'. At the new Daxing airport in China you don't need ID because the cameras are such high definition that they can biometrically identify your face and know exactly where you are at all times. Just wait until Blighty discovers the delights of such cameras and fits them in polling stations and some other places that no one seems to know who did it. I think these types have got it coming to them. You know it is a bit like the post office was quite complacent for a long time and their Mr Singh.
this is a classic cross-examination
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Post by johnofgwent on May 7, 2024 20:30:20 GMT
Banning spoiled ballot papers would be a step too far, and besides, how would 'the authorities' know who's spoiled ballot paper they were looking at? Because each vote is traceable. When you enter the polling station they take your voters register number and write it on the back of the voting slip, don't they? Compulsory voting would check the integrity of the voters list. You may have read a post I made elsewhere on this subject many years ago The record of which voter received which ballot paper is returned with the ballot box to the returning officer who is required to maintain it in secure storage against the day a judge, persuaded by whatever declaration of electoral malpractice is made to them in a court of law, directs that the records be retrieved and unsealed and individual votes traced back to voters. I am indebted to Phil of 'rude mood' fame aka 'ranger' of UK Debate Mk 1 and 2 who served as a polling station presiding officer several times and explained this to me. Of course, how far you trust the state not to correlate that information in flagrant violation of statute law is a matter for you. |
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2024 20:35:35 GMT
Good point, JoG.
Imagine getting digital voting system where everyone votes from home on their phone or PC. Then the authorities could know instantly who voted for what. Including the Chinese and Iranian hackers.
I bet it will be along quite soon.
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Post by johnofgwent on May 7, 2024 20:35:47 GMT
Just wait until Blighty discovers the delights of such cameras It's politically motivated plod already have Probably coming soon to a London borough near you |
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Post by Dogburger on May 8, 2024 6:54:12 GMT
As Ive mentioned elsewhere rather than make voting compulsory voting should restricted to landowners, homeowners and those who have served in the armed forces . Everyone else can do as they are told .
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Post by seniorcitizen007 on May 10, 2024 21:04:50 GMT
If the majority of the winner of an election is less than the number of registered voters who did not vote then the non-voters should be called upon to vote ... with all candidates who still have a chance of winning participating. This would be repeated until the majority of the winner exceeds the number of non-voters. The non-voters in the rounds that do not produce a result would then experience an enhanced perception that their votes really do count. In close run elections a handful of people would decide the final outcome.
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Post by vlk on May 10, 2024 23:51:56 GMT
A lot of people who don't vote regard politics as some sort of circus. If voting was made compulsory those people would vote for joke-candidates since the circus needs more clowns.
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