To the people of the United States, please Vote!
Don't Vote, Don't Complain
For those not familiar with Elections in the United States, it’s not compulsory in America to vote. However it’s a responsibility to society for any citizen in a democracy to vote.
On November 4th (a work day! no wonder Americans don’t vote, who organised this?), make some time to vote, pick up your friends and neighbours on the way, or call them and remind them to vote too. Polling hours for your state can be found here. It’s your vote and every vote counts, it’s not 1965 any more.
Why is the AGP posting about this? Because we care. In Australia, voter turnout is about 95%, so our leaders are elected by majority. In America the percentage is much lower, 56% and under. Which means that the votes of those who didn’t vote, could turn the tide of any election and change the course of history. Which means that the people running your country, may not be representing you as citizens. Some people in this world die for even a chance to vote, don’t waste yours. We don’t care who you vote for, we just want you to vote.
If you, the People of the United States, want a perfect Union, Justice, domestic Tranquility, common defence, general Welfare, Liberty and Posterity, go and vote for who you think can make it happen!
PS. If you forgot to register, it’s too late for the 2008 Election, but don’t let the next one roll around in the same situation, register today. Speak to the Federal Electorial Commission if you’re not sure about anything.
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They all pander to Israel. Which really makes me want to puke. Why the F do I have to pay for their F AR15s and bulldozers?
Anyway. I’ll be getting up at 7AM Tuesday to walk to the local Korean church to vote. Seems silly I’m voting at a Church.
Maybe I’ll get swept off my feet by some beautiful Good News parishioner.
I’m voting NO on Prop 8 which I’m one of the 10 or 15 percent to vote for equal rights for same-sex unions.
I live in one of the most leftist areas in the country and I’m still surrounded by F rednecks.
grrrrrr…
People say I’m frustrated. yea. I am.
Heh.. wow, Eric.
On a side note: Voting in Canada isn’t compulsory either, and our elections are also held almost exclusively on work days. By law in Canada, employers must provide a consecutive four-hour period for people to vote.
We also do a lot of voting in churches. I know it’s kinda strange with the whole separation of church and state thing, but where else are you going to get enough large buildings in neighbourhoods where people can vote?
Maybe we need to get into electronic voting? Hell, if I can file my taxes over the Internet why not vote? There’s lots of ways that people could log in with their Social Insurance Number and keep that information separate from the actual vote.
If you refuse to vote, then you have no business in complaining.
If you don’t vote and you continue to complain, then you’re a imbecilic moron. (and you’ll probably have to look those words up)
I voted in a school this year. And because I actually read my voter card and followed the instructions about bringing a government issued photo ID (my passport) and proof of my address (my phone bill), I was in and out in about 5 minutes. Unlike the idiotic people who came before me who were arguing with the poll clerk for 20 minutes that they “had lived in this neighbourhood for year!” Learn to frigging read then! Sheesh.
The poll clerks actually said to me, “At last someone who read the card!”
After having worked as a poll clerk for several elections, I am used to dealing with stupid people who don’t bother to read the information that you send them…
To help the American voters I found a channel just for them:
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=TheYoungTurks
Thanks for the reminder Cait. In the next hour or so, I’ll be heading out the door to exercise my right to vote.
I am not voting…
This is what I saw this morning.
http://ericn80.posterous.com/record-turnout
This is not a joke.
Upshot?
I did not have to wait and the volunteers where polite.
It’s all settled now.
http://www.theyoungturks.com had a live coverage of the election.
and here are the results:
http://edition.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/president/
Interestingly as much of a geekie techie person that I am, I’m quite happy with pencil and paper voting. Somehow it seems more authentic, and I have more trust in the process than just pressing a button and hoping the computer adds it up properly and doesn’t crash! And compulsory voting is definitely the way to go.
@Tom Nothing compulsory is good. Forcing somebody may result in voting in anger or at random. I would recommend a tax relief for the people that vote for example.
@Tom Nothing commpulsory is good in the end. Forcing somebody may result in voting in anger or at random. I would recommend a tax relief to the people that vote for example.
While voting is compulsory in Australia, what you put on your ballot is up to you, including making it invalid.
I consider voting a responsibility, rather than an obligation.
Tax relief… well that’s the same thing but in reverse, except it would cost more to implement than the system we have here of a fine if you don’t have a good reason for not voting.
I was actually against compulsory voting when I lived in the UK, but having seen it work here in Australia I think it’s a good idea. We have turnout of something like 95% which gives the government a real legitimacy. It would give me the shits when people in the UK whinged about politics and I then discovered they hadn’t voted.
@Tom No it’s not the same
It’s like:
“I will go and vote and be appreciated by a tax relief”
vs
“I need to go there again or they will punish me with a fine! Maybe I will vote against them and next time the other party will change this stupid law? You never know.”
This is how I see a fair percentage of the voters may react. If some of them have to go in such an attitude, I wouldn’t want them there. I am happy it works in Australia though.
@Cait I posted the last comment twice because there was nothing showing after the page reloaded. Sorry for that!
We’re going to have to agree to disagree then I think. To me tax relief in return for votes = bribery which is one step from corruption. It’s everyone’s responsibility to vote, but if they really don’t want to vote for any of the candidates they can spoil their ballot paper so it won’t be counted but they avoid the fine. At least it’s made them think about it and interact with democracy.