Compulsory Voting

So today is election day. A day I've been looking forward to as much as I've been looking forward to my next prostate exam. However, I've seen from a lot of friends and family who have either chosen to abstain their vote this election cycle or just chosen not to register to vote because they don't care about elections or think their vote won't make a lick of difference.

Which got me thinking: should the United States adopt compulsory voting?

In my opinion, it should be. Unless you are medically unable to vote, such as being physically disabled in your home to the point in which you cannot form a coherent sentence, you have an opportunity to vote. A good chunk of the population in the US say that their vote doesn't count. You know how it won't count no matter what? If you don't vote. If a group of your friends who decided not to vote suddenly decides to change their mind, congratulations, you've just created a voter bloc.

 

I'm going to have to disagree. Compulsory voting will make it feel more tedious/annoying than it already is, especially with this joke of an election system we have. All it would ever be is an obligation to vote for the next politician. With voting being a right and NOT mandatory, people can abstain if they have no interest in politics. They should however be ridiculed if they decide to complain about the election results and anything elected leaders do when they didn't bother casting a vote if they were legally capable of doing so. That's the way I see it. The more people participate, the more they are exercising their rights and the more freedoms they should feel. The less they participate, the less freedom they should feel. It would basically all be put into their own lap because they are responsible for the amount of freedom they feel.

 

This statement fascinates me. Every one I've ever known has told me that if you don't vote, you don't have a right to complain about what happens afterwards.

Frankly, I don't agree with that statement at all. I, personally, am not the most political person around. I've followed the election from time to time throughout the entire process, but I was never grossly invested in it once the nominees were in. So sue me if I get something wrong here.

What would you say to someone who was thinking of voting third party? Anyone will tell you that a vote for third party is a wasted vote because they can't possibly win. What would you say to those people who voted for someone who has no chance of winning? Isn't that the same as not voting at all? Why should I have to vote for the lesser of two evils who I'm going to end up complaining about regardless since they're both shit and I don't agree with either of them?

So, if both candidates are shit, and I dislike both of them, why should I not be able to complain about what they do after they become president? Should I just... I don't know, vote for who I think is the lesser of two evils? Why should I do that? Why should I spend my time and energy going out to vote for people whom I do not support and do not want running our country?

If your answer is yes, then why the hell are they the candidates in the first place? I certainly didn't vote for either of them, everyone else did. I'm listed as an independent, so I couldn't vote in the primaries. My voice has already been ignored. Now they wan't me to choose between the candidate that one group of people want, versus the candidate that another group of people want, and both of which are shitty candidates in my eyes.

Nah, I'm not about to go waste my time like that. I will exercise my right to complain as well if things go to shit. People can ridicule me as much as they want, but that won't change anything. Our system is still broken.

"But it's your political duty to vote!" Yea, I pay taxes just like every other citizen here. I doubt anyone in the government cares if I vote as long as they have my tax dollars. That just sounds like propaganda made to shame people who don't like either candidate into voting for one of them even if they don't support them, which defeats the entire purpose of a Democracy.

Not voting because you're lazy is one thing, but this election isn't worth my time.

tl;dr I'll complain if things go to shit even if I don't vote. I won't be bullied into voting for people I don't agree with.

 

You're over thinking what I've said. If you were legally capable of voting, but you NEVER voted at all (this includes not taking the opportunity to vote Green Party, Libertarian, Independant, or simply writing in a candidate), then you really have no real right to complain. It's just that simple. It doesn't matter what party or if you write Mickey Mouse in as your chosen candidate for the "write in" option, that's still a vote and that means you have every right to complain about the results and what the elected leaders screw up on. You exercised your right to vote, regardless if it resulted in a win or loss.

People are so full of their "entitlement" crap, but NEVER do anything to pitch in and fix what they have a problem with and THAT is what I'm referring to when you don't vote at all when you were perfectly legally and capable of doing so. Laziness and disinterest is NOT a valid excuse to keep from going out and voting for whomever you want (forget the "2 party" system bullshit, vote for Sephiroth for all I care), at least you voted.

 

That was the only reason I voted, so I could rightfully b!tch about the clown that gets to lead the USA.
Done with this election.


Well, time to find a way out of the country.

 

in the end everyone will bitch except me. I will be laughing my ass off.