LondonLax Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 Yeah the BBQ sausages are a thing and voting’s always a Saturday so everyone can go. It’s usually some sports team/scout group/community choir from the school hall where the voting takes place trying to raise some money by selling sausages and cup cakes. My Facebook feed is full of ‘democracy sausages’ anytime there is an election on back home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted January 25, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted January 25, 2021 53 minutes ago, bickster said: And if None of the above wins, new election with brand new candidates I'll do it if no one else will. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitvilla Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, chrisp65 said: Voting can be compulsory when / where something along the lines of ‘none of the above’ is on the ballot. One can always spoil one's vote. Have done that in the past ... when the party of my persuasion has fielded an idiot. edit an after thought ... instead of spoiling one's vote for the local greens ... that'll scare the big'uns. Edited January 25, 2021 by fruitvilla Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted January 25, 2021 Moderator Share Posted January 25, 2021 11 minutes ago, fruitvilla said: One can always spoil one's vote. Have done that in the past ... when the party of my persuasion has fielded an idiot. edit an after thought ... instead of spoiling one's vote for the local greens ... that'll scare the big'uns. You appear to be missing the point. None of the Above has the power to force a rerun with all new candidates Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fruitvilla Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 1 minute ago, bickster said: You appear to be missing the point. None of the Above has the power to force a rerun with all new candidates OK got it ... thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villakram Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 2 hours ago, LondonLax said: Not voting results in a fine of about £20 so it’s not a great penalty if you don’t do it. An advantage of compulsory voting is that you don’t have to ‘turn out your base’ by pandering to them. Everyone is going to be voting anyway so your goal as a candidate is to capture as much of the general public as possible. Also there are no demographics who ‘don’t vote‘ (like the youth are often accused of). Hasn't help the Aussies avoid the same old politics being used to get into power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmygreaves Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 2 minutes ago, villakram said: Hasn't help the Aussies avoid the same old politics being used to get into power. The will of the people. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villakram Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, bickster said: You appear to be missing the point. None of the Above has the power to force a rerun with all new candidates Says who? Oh right, those who write the laws. Those who now get to pat themselves on the back, because democracy or some such. Mandatory voting is borderline fascist. Edited January 25, 2021 by villakram 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmygreaves Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 3 minutes ago, villakram said: Says who? Oh right, those who write the laws. Those who now get to pat themselves on the back, because democracy or some such. Mandatory voting is borderline fascist. By ensuring a fully representative democracy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted January 25, 2021 Moderator Share Posted January 25, 2021 8 minutes ago, villakram said: Mandatory voting is borderline fascist. Do you have ANY evidence to support this view? Amusingly compulsory voting was only introduced in Italy after the overthrow of Mussolini Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 If I had a choice, which I don't, I would vote no to compulsory voting. It seems a good idea, but then, y'know, people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 58 minutes ago, villakram said: Says who? Oh right, those who write the laws. Those who now get to pat themselves on the back, because democracy or some such. Mandatory voting is borderline fascist. Doesn’t fascism usually mean taking away people’s right to vote? An electorate who has voted in mandatory voting always has the possibility to vote it back out again if they so wish. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnkarl Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 (edited) 9 hours ago, villakram said: Says who? Oh right, those who write the laws. Those who now get to pat themselves on the back, because democracy or some such. Mandatory voting is borderline fascist. Yes, as opposed to conscription, draft and taxes, right? Mandatory voting works fine when you can spoil your ballot. It reduces the risk of populist BS, a lot of which is seen in the US from both sides of the spectrum. Politicians actually have to try to be someone that will work for everyone in society, not just the mega-rich or conglomerates. A two state system, along with low turnout makes it a lot easier for fascists to take over a party like the GOP (hey Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Rand Paul, Lankford, McCarthy++++) Here's a prime example why Trump's buddies in GOP needs to be expelled. They're still unwilling to admit that they're lying scumbags who incited a rebellion which killed 5 people. Edited January 26, 2021 by magnkarl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidcow Posted January 26, 2021 VT Supporter Share Posted January 26, 2021 (edited) Thing with the Republicans. With their extremely Right Wing Trumpism, they lost the election.... by a lot. Some of the states were fairly close but 1) surely after the Capitol riot there will be a small but vital % of people who will have been utterly shocked by that and refuse to back a party who failed to deal with that and 2) a lot of older voters will have died (not to mention how many Trump type anti vaxxers/no mask Coronavirus deniers will be wiped out by coronavirus) and replaced by young college educated voters so surely the Demographics will be shifting against them. If they carry on as is, what is their route back to power? Edited January 26, 2021 by sidcow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 (edited) Their route back to power is just to keep on going. They should probably nominate someone slightly less actively repellent next time, but even if they don't they may very well win. People also need to remember that since the electoral college bias, the small-state bias in the Senate, *and* gerrymandered Congressional district lines all benefit Republicans, they could lose the national popular vote by 2 or 3 points - instead of 4 or 5 - and win back control of all three branches. They don't actually need to win a majority of the vote to hold all the power. Edited January 26, 2021 by HanoiVillan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted January 26, 2021 Moderator Share Posted January 26, 2021 First of the ex-Trump staffers out of the blocks is this wretch. See here her opening shot in her campaign to be Governor of Arkansas As someone commented, Arkansas, if she's the answer, the question was f***ing stupid If you watch this, I reccommend having a bucket close at hand 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AXD Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 12 hours ago, villakram said: Mandatory voting is borderline fascist. Would you care to elaborate? I know it says ‘borderline’ but I would like to know why you feel it being close to fascism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted January 26, 2021 Moderator Share Posted January 26, 2021 Don't expect an answer 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 52 minutes ago, bickster said: First of the ex-Trump staffers out of the blocks is this wretch. See here her opening shot in her campaign to be Governor of Arkansas As someone commented, Arkansas, if she's the answer, the question was f***ing stupid If you watch this, I reccommend having a bucket close at hand Surely a prohibitive favourite, since a] she is really well-known, b] her father was the governor and is Arkansas' second-most famous living former politician, and c] it's a deep-red state. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bickster Posted January 26, 2021 Moderator Share Posted January 26, 2021 8 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said: Surely a prohibitive favourite, since a] she is really well-known, b] her father was the governor and is Arkansas' second-most famous living former politician, and c] it's a deep-red state. I would imagine she's by some distance the frontrunner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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