Autumn Statement : Brexit Edition

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Well there is one way to get them voting but no one seems to want to grasp the nettle of fining those who won't vote.

Instead of fining people for not voting how about rewarding those that do, everyone's council tax goes up 50 quid and if you vote in all elections you get 75
of your bill. We could do the same for doctors and hospital appointments, put prescriptions up to 15 pounds but you get some back if you attend appointments, it might not be self funding but I doubt it would cost a fortune, might be a good idea to change the voting day as well, it'd mean the schools wouldn't have to shut as well.

Originally Posted by Mick

There is nothing hard about the process in being registered to vote.

Agreed!

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Originally Posted by Damien

It is less secure. It's very hard to commit any wide scale fraud in the current system. People can vote without an ID but so what? There is no evidence that has led to real fraud. Online voting would be open to interference, hacking and mass fraud.

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Originally Posted by TheDaddy

Instead of fining people for not voting how about rewarding those that do, everyone's council tax goes up 50 quid and if you vote in all elections you get 75
of your bill. We could do the same for doctors and hospital appointments, put prescriptions up to 15 pounds but you get some back if you attend appointments, it might not be self funding but I doubt it would cost a fortune, might be a good idea to change the voting day as well, it'd mean the schools wouldn't have to shut as well.

Interesting idea..However what sort of society must we be if we have to pay people to vote? We could go even further and make that to be a British citizen one has to vote or lose citizenship.

[tweetiepooh]

Paper vote is a good and traceable way of doing things with far less chance of interference than electronic. And it feels more connected to make you mark on a piece of paper and post that into a box.

Choice was reduced when they raised the deposit but it is still only £500.

And a the long time period on a Thursday is still a good time. Plenty of opportunity to vote even with odd work patterns. My wife and I plan to get to go to vote together. And since many polling stations are in churches, Sunday voting wouldn't work.

Fining is not a good idea, what if you suddenly couldn't vote in some unexpected manner. People may feel disenfranchised but they need to get out and vote anyway. Support that minor party so they don't lose their deposit. I think it would be great fun if we had a parliament of independents.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

Agreed!

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Interesting idea..However what sort of society must we be if we have to pay people to vote? We could go even further and make that to be a British citizen one has to vote or lose citizenship.

One where people don't vote for a variety of reasons, do we do something drastic about it or do we just let it roll along, at what point do by elections with 11% turnouts just become to rediculous to stand or government's can't realistically claim to have mandates because no one voted for them, it's not just here, that great bastion of democracy only had a 54% turnout the other day apparently. Besides I've thought of a catchy name for it now, the democracy belief rebate

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Mr K

If there was compulsory voting there'd have to be an abstention box. Be a bit embarrassing if 'abstention' won though...
Making it easier to vote would be better.

Compulsory voting is only done in 22 countries as of 3 years ago and only 11 of those 22 countries enforce these laws in practice.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_voting

[pip08456]

Originally Posted by denphone

Compulsory voting is only done in 22 countries as of 3 years ago and only 11 of those 22 countries enforce these laws in practice.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_voting

How many of those countries have void ballot papers returned and what percentage?

You can lead a horse to water...

[denphone]

Originally Posted by pip08456

How many of those countries have void ballot papers returned and what percentage?

You can lead a horse to water...

But you can't make him drink....

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Originally Posted by pip08456

How many of those countries have void ballot papers returned and what percentage?

Yes it would be nice to know the answer to that.

Originally Posted by TheDaddy

One where people don't vote for a variety of reasons, do we do something drastic about it or do we just let it roll along, at what point do by elections with 11% turnouts just become to rediculous to stand or government's can't realistically claim to have mandates because no one voted for them, it's not just here, that great bastion of democracy only had a 54% turnout the other day apparently. Besides I've thought of a catchy name for it now, the democracy belief rebate

Well perhaps a minimum turnout or quorum might be the answer. If it's not achieved the election is null and has to be rerun? But that won't work for those that would see it as a means of trying to get the 'right' result.

At one time I thought education was the key but having had to teach 'citizen' lessons in Social Education classes I soon learned what a turn off politics and the constitution is to the average teenager.