Election - Will You Vote?

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Miss Tickle's bottom
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Re: Election - Will You Vote?

Post by Miss Tickle's bottom »

the_lock_man wrote:As I've said before, I'm not trying to deny anyone the right to abstain.

What I am saying is that they should be compelled to explicitly do so. At the moment, we don't know who is disengaged from the system, and who just couldn't be arsed. I don't see that that is devaluing anyone else's vote.
You are assuming that those who can't be arsed to vote would go to the bother of putting an 'X' in the 'Abstain' box if they were compelled to vote. I don't think many would, and this could distort the outcome of an election. Currently, if people make the effort to vote it generally means that they've put some effort into thinking about who to vote for, which to me makes the outcome valid.
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Re: Election - Will You Vote?

Post by Pompey Junglist »

the_lock_man wrote:As I've said before, I'm not trying to deny anyone the right to abstain.

What I am saying is that they should be compelled to explicitly do so. At the moment, we don't know who is disengaged from the system, and who just couldn't be arsed. I don't see that that is devaluing anyone else's vote.
If you can't be arsed to vote in a general election, you're disengaged. I don't understand how or why you're making a distinction between the two.
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Lost in Transportation
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Re: Election - Will You Vote?

Post by Lost in Transportation »

Miss Tickle's bottom wrote:
the_lock_man wrote:As I've said before, I'm not trying to deny anyone the right to abstain.

What I am saying is that they should be compelled to explicitly do so. At the moment, we don't know who is disengaged from the system, and who just couldn't be arsed. I don't see that that is devaluing anyone else's vote.
You are assuming that those who can't be arsed to vote would go to the bother of putting an 'X' in the 'Abstain' box if they were compelled to vote. I don't think many would, and this could distort the outcome of an election. Currently, if people make the effort to vote it generally means that they've put some effort into thinking about who to vote for, which to me makes the outcome valid.
I think you would have to provide two boxes: 'Abstain' and 'None of the Above'.

Abstain would mean your vote wouldn't count towards the final result but would be noted. None of the above would count if it got a winning amount of votes - there simply wouldn't be a candidate elected for a designated period (say one year).
Watching wheels spin and dust settle.
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Re: Election - Will You Vote?

Post by No Shot Sherlock »

Lost in Transportation wrote:I think you would have to provide two boxes: 'Abstain' and 'None of the Above'.

Abstain would mean your vote wouldn't count towards the final result but would be noted. None of the above would count if it got a winning amount of votes - there simply wouldn't be a candidate elected for a designated period (say one year).
Well you'd end up with a lot of empty seats in Parliament if you did that. In any constituency where one candidate has a big lead (but polls less than 50%), anyone who didn't want that candidate as their MP would simply vote 'none of the above' and bingo, no MP.
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Lost in Transportation
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Re: Election - Will You Vote?

Post by Lost in Transportation »

No Shot Sherlock wrote:
Lost in Transportation wrote:I think you would have to provide two boxes: 'Abstain' and 'None of the Above'.

Abstain would mean your vote wouldn't count towards the final result but would be noted. None of the above would count if it got a winning amount of votes - there simply wouldn't be a candidate elected for a designated period (say one year).
Well you'd end up with a lot of empty seats in Parliament if you did that. In any constituency where one candidate has a big lead (but polls less than 50%), anyone who didn't want that candidate as their MP would simply vote 'none of the above' and bingo, no MP.
I wouldn't think it would be many on a FTTP system. And you would be limited to a year before another election anyway. The candidate would have to be pretty hated to achieve such a co-ordinated response.
Watching wheels spin and dust settle.
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Re: Election - Will You Vote?

Post by No Shot Sherlock »

Lost in Transportation wrote:
No Shot Sherlock wrote:
Lost in Transportation wrote:I think you would have to provide two boxes: 'Abstain' and 'None of the Above'.

Abstain would mean your vote wouldn't count towards the final result but would be noted. None of the above would count if it got a winning amount of votes - there simply wouldn't be a candidate elected for a designated period (say one year).
Well you'd end up with a lot of empty seats in Parliament if you did that. In any constituency where one candidate has a big lead (but polls less than 50%), anyone who didn't want that candidate as their MP would simply vote 'none of the above' and bingo, no MP.
I wouldn't think it would be many on a FTTP system. And you would be limited to a year before another election anyway. The candidate would have to be pretty hated to achieve such a co-ordinated response.
You wouldn't have to 'hate' the candidate, just not want his/her party to win the seat.
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Re: Election - Will You Vote?

Post by Hamburg Skate »

Its a shame there isn't a choice of "non of the above."
Would probably win most seats. :smt001
Brexit....Voted for it...Sorry i was wrong.
Miss Tickle's bottom
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Re: Election - Will You Vote?

Post by Miss Tickle's bottom »

Lost in Transportation wrote:I think you would have to provide two boxes: 'Abstain' and 'None of the Above'.

Abstain would mean your vote wouldn't count towards the final result but would be noted. None of the above would count if it got a winning amount of votes - there simply wouldn't be a candidate elected for a designated period (say one year).
Your solution addresses a different cross-section of the public - you are referring to people who wish to take part in the election but can't bring themselves to vote, for two different reasons, in the traditional way. I was referring to people who currently can't be arsed to vote - if these people were compelled to vote by law I suspect that many of them would just put a tick in a random box (the candidate with the biggest tits, for example), which wouldn't really do much for democracy.
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Lost in Transportation
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Re: Election - Will You Vote?

Post by Lost in Transportation »

Miss Tickle's bottom wrote:
Lost in Transportation wrote:I think you would have to provide two boxes: 'Abstain' and 'None of the Above'.

Abstain would mean your vote wouldn't count towards the final result but would be noted. None of the above would count if it got a winning amount of votes - there simply wouldn't be a candidate elected for a designated period (say one year).
Your solution addresses a different cross-section of the public - you are referring to people who wish to take part in the election but can't bring themselves to vote, for two different reasons, in the traditional way. I was referring to people who currently can't be arsed to vote - if these people were compelled to vote by law I suspect that many of them would just put a tick in a random box (the candidate with the biggest tits, for example), which wouldn't really do much for democracy.
But why can't they be arsed?

I remember way back on my 18th birthday receiving a letter from my local MP on House of Parliament stationary wishing me a happy birthday, talking about the importance of voting and inviting me to ask questions of him or the government of the day. That was a nice touch. I did take him up a little while later and received via him such a nonsensical gobbledygook response by a junior minister that it taught me an important lesson that lots of policy isn't evidence based or rational.

It was the engagement that was important.

However, in my experiences since then I do question the value of this form of representation as being somewhat monoculture and probably counter-productive. Perhaps electing the candidate with the biggest tits would result in a higher quality of representative (albeit Eric Pickles would likely have a safe seat for life)? Part of me hopes we have an election result that sees no party or coalition or grouping able to form a commons majority. The Belgium economy grew faster during its 18 months of no government and slowed after a government was formed. Why not see if the same is true here? A 5 year experiment to see whether MPs make a real difference or are a drag on the economy and people's lives.
Watching wheels spin and dust settle.
Here comes AFC
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Re: Election - Will You Vote?

Post by Here comes AFC »

Pompey Junglist wrote:
the_lock_man wrote:As I've said before, I'm not trying to deny anyone the right to abstain.

What I am saying is that they should be compelled to explicitly do so. At the moment, we don't know who is disengaged from the system, and who just couldn't be arsed. I don't see that that is devaluing anyone else's vote.
If you can't be arsed to vote in a general election, you're disengaged. I don't understand how or why you're making a distinction between the two.
Not necessarily. I'm engaged but know full well that if I bother to walk to the polling station my vote makes no difference on the day
HappyHour@TheBreweryOfLife
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Re: Election - Will You Vote?

Post by HappyHour@TheBreweryOfLife »

I've just been reminded of this glorious episode...

[youtube][/youtube]

I truly despair of our current batch of politicians. I am also a little bit scared of the future of our fine nation.
Fratton End Exile
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Re: Election - Will You Vote?

Post by Fratton End Exile »

I will definitely vote.
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Locky_McLockface
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Re: Election - Will You Vote?

Post by Locky_McLockface »

Miss Tickle's bottom wrote:
Lost in Transportation wrote:I think you would have to provide two boxes: 'Abstain' and 'None of the Above'.

Abstain would mean your vote wouldn't count towards the final result but would be noted. None of the above would count if it got a winning amount of votes - there simply wouldn't be a candidate elected for a designated period (say one year).
Your solution addresses a different cross-section of the public - you are referring to people who wish to take part in the election but can't bring themselves to vote, for two different reasons, in the traditional way. I was referring to people who currently can't be arsed to vote - if these people were compelled to vote by law I suspect that many of them would just put a tick in a random box (the candidate with the biggest tits, for example), which wouldn't really do much for democracy.
I'm sure there will be some who would vote that way, but I can't see it being that many.
I before E except when you run a feisty heist on a weird beige foreign neighbour
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