How about charging a $50 tax for not voting? Just a thought.

Though to be fair, you would have to have a "none of the above" option for people who don't like any of the choices.

Can you blame them? I mean the election between Bush and Kerry showed how pathetic our politics have become. You have a rich white guy who has never worked a day in his life and has had everything handed to him telling me he understands what it's like and then you have another rich white guy who has never worked a day in his life and has had everything handed to him telling me he understands what it's like.

I'm sure in Europe it's the same thing.

Crosshair: "none of the above" option

This will never happen because I guarantee if you put this on a ballot, it'd win by a landslide.

eddyatwork: Crosshair: "none of the above" option

This will never happen because I guarantee if you put this on a ballot, it'd win by a landslide.

Then that position would be banned for a period of not less than fifteen years. Works for me.

Of course. I mean, who votes for their representatives in non-presidential years?

eddyatwork: This will never happen because I guarantee if you put this on a ballot, it'd win by a landslide.

Nevada always has a "none of these choices" option. In the 2008 Presidential election, it got 6267 of 967,848 votes.

Number41: eddyatwork: This will never happen because I guarantee if you put this on a ballot, it'd win by a landslide.

Nevada always has a "none of these choices" option. In the 2008 Presidential election, it got 6267 of 967,848 votes.

Wow, that's some landslide eddy.

Crosshair: How about charging a $50 tax for not voting? Just a thought.

Though to be fair, you would have to have a "none of the above" option for people who don't like any of the choices.

I used to think that too and then I realized it's probably a good thing that everybody doesn't vote.

Number41: eddyatwork: This will never happen because I guarantee if you put this on a ballot, it'd win by a landslide.

Nevada always has a "none of these choices" option. In the 2008 Presidential election, it got 6267 of 967,848 votes.

That's just because they under-sampled the "I refuse to show up to the polls" demographic. If you count their votes, I'm sure it would be a landslide.

It could also be that the E.U. parliament has very limited real power and nobody cares a wit who represents them.

Just saying not to many people give a crap who their school board trustees are either. Comparing this to a presidential vote or even mid-term elections is flawed logic.

It's not individual countries, it's the parliament of the entire EU. They make some important decisions but they're not really that important.

eddyatwork: Can you blame them? I mean the election between Bush and Kerry showed how pathetic our politics have become. You have a rich white guy who has never worked a day in his life and has had everything handed to him telling me he understands what it's like and then you have another rich white guy who has never worked a day in his life and has had everything handed to him telling me he understands what it's like.

I'm sure in Europe it's the same thing.

no, it's not. We can vote for party seats, not for individuals. I just came back from voting (I'm german), and there were quite a lot of choices. I voted green, but could have voted Pirate Party, which seems like a nice choice, too. There even was a "purple party" that has a program based on spiritual politics, whatever that is

eddyatwork: Can you blame them? I mean the election between Bush and Kerry showed how pathetic our politics have become...

I'm sure in Europe it's the same thing.

Not quite. It's not really identical rich white guys that's the problem. I don't think many of the people on the ballots today were milionaires. Neither can it be lack of choice. There were more than thirty different parties on my ballot representing the entire political spectrum and many different special interest groups.

The problem appears to be that nobody seems to care. People care about local elections and national elecetions. European elections are considered less impoartant. Of the few people who actually can bring themselves to vote most don't vote based on any EU-specfic issue. They vote to tell the current national government how unsatisfied they are with the job they are doing.

Malta having a lot higher voter turn-out than other places probably has something to with the fact that their votes count ten times as much as the votes from countries such as Germany, France or the UK.

I believe that voting is required in Australia, there's even a fine if you don't vote. I'm not sure if I like voting being mandatory, but since I remember hearing they also have a write in/none of these choices slots, I guess it isn't too bad...

Crosshair: How about charging a $50 tax for not voting? Just a thought.

NO! Bad Idea! We forget in the midst of all our "go out and vote" rhetoric in this country that a good 25% of the eligible population are unadulterated morons. I would prefer them not voting.

UNC_Samurai: Crosshair: How about charging a $50 tax for not voting? Just a thought.

NO! Bad Idea! We forget in the midst of all our "go out and vote" rhetoric in this country that a good 25% of the eligible population are unadulterated morons. I would prefer them not voting.

Meh, they would just vote Republican anyway. Better to keep them away, I agree.

Lost Thought 00: That's just because they under-sampled the "I refuse to show up to the polls" demographic. If you count their votes, I'm sure it would be a landslide.

This is exactly right. If you take a look at the number of people who are eligible to vote as compared to those who actually show up to vote it's a landslide, especially in local elections. The irony is that 100 votes for the US President is insignificant but the 100 votes in a local school board can completely change the election.

chocobor: I voted green, but could have voted Pirate Party

Dude, you had the chance to vote for the Pirate Party and you didn't? When the zombies come, you are not getting into my bunker. If the Pirate Party's sole agenda was to rename Sunday into EddyatworkIsABigFatStupidDoodyHeadDay, I'd still vote for them. I mean come on, they're freakin' pirates!

UNC_Samurai: Crosshair: How about charging a $50 tax for not voting? Just a thought.

NO! Bad Idea! We forget in the midst of all our "go out and vote" rhetoric in this country that a good 25% of the eligible population are unadulterated morons. I would prefer them not voting.

In addition, I think the right to cast your vote ought to include the right to NOT cast a vote if you so choose.

<wingnut>
Rich people in European Union of Socialist Republics?
</wingnut>

Maybe if the EU parliament had actual power, people would bother to vote.

/didn't vote

Lost Thought 00: That's just because they under-sampled the "I refuse to show up to the polls" demographic. If you count their votes, I'm sure it would be a landslide.

There was 58% turnout. Even if everyone who didn't vote went to the polls and voted "none of the above", it wouldn't be a majority.

Number41: Lost Thought 00: That's just because they under-sampled the "I refuse to show up to the polls" demographic. If you count their votes, I'm sure it would be a landslide.

There was 58% turnout. Even if everyone who didn't vote went to the polls and voted "none of the above", it wouldn't be a majority.

It wouldn't need a majority if it got all those votes. Presumably that 58% didn't all vote for one party.

Crosshair: Though to be fair, you would have to have a "none of the above" option for people who don't like any of the choices.

Democracy?
Hardly.
The bewildered herd is called in every few years to lend their weight to the corporate choices being given them, none of which actually represent their interests.
Fark you.
I won't vote unless there is a candidate worth voting for, this lesser of two evils BS is just an opportunity to take part in my own disenfranchisement. We need some serious electorial reforms, (campaign finance, term limits, voting machines, lobbyists) and I don't expect them anytime in this life.
The people who disagree with that are the idiots who think Obama is a liberal.
Fark off.

UNC_Samurai: Crosshair: How about charging a $50 tax for not voting? Just a thought.

NO! Bad Idea! We forget in the midst of all our "go out and vote" rhetoric in this country that a good 25% of the eligible population are unadulterated morons. I would prefer them not voting.

One of my friends has solved this problem. Everyone gets 10 votes a year, to use as they wish. The "unadulterated morons" will use all their votes on reality TV shows, allowing the rest of the population to vote on the important stuff.

chocobor: I voted green, but could have voted Pirate Party

Dude, you had the chance to vote for the Pirate Party and you didn't? When the zombies come, you are not getting into my bunker. If the Pirate Party's sole agenda was to rename Sunday into EddyatworkIsABigFatStupidDoodyHeadDay, I'd still vote for them. I mean come on, they're freakin' pirates!

Well, I'm a software developer. Not the kind of software anyone would want to pirate, but still.

eddyatwork: The irony is that 100 votes for the US President is insignificant but the 100 votes in a local school board can completely change the election.

How is that ironic?

chocobor: chocobor: I voted green, but could have voted Pirate Party

Dude, you had the chance to vote for the Pirate Party and you didn't? When the zombies come, you are not getting into my bunker. If the Pirate Party's sole agenda was to rename Sunday into EddyatworkIsABigFatStupidDoodyHeadDay, I'd still vote for them. I mean come on, they're freakin' pirates!

Well, I'm a software developer. Not the kind of software anyone would want to pirate, but still.

They also push for having your normal social rights to extend to the Internet so you can't be spied on for whatever miniscule reason they come up with.

/would have voted for PP, but they didn't make it here
//went for greens instead
///looks like they get one MEP from here (of 13)
//slashies!

Supposedly if you don't vote,
you don't have the right to biatch.

but they always seem to open their mouths anyway.

/you'd think they thought they are on Fark...sheez.

Redscum: It wouldn't need a majority if it got all those votes. Presumably that 58% didn't all vote for one party.

It'd win, you're right, but I'm not sure I'd consider it a landslide if it couldn't crack 50%. And I'm guessing that most people who don't vote do so out of apathy, not protest, so it wouldn't win even if voting were mandatory.

No one cares about the European Parliament

Number41: Redscum: It wouldn't need a majority if it got all those votes. Presumably that 58% didn't all vote for one party.

It'd win, you're right, but I'm not sure I'd consider it a landslide if it couldn't crack 50%. And I'm guessing that most people who don't vote do so out of apathy, not protest, so it wouldn't win even if voting were mandatory.

Labour's landslide win of 1997 would like a word. I agree though, for most it is apathy rather than disillusion.

FlukeBoy: I won't vote unless there is a candidate worth voting for, this lesser of two evils BS is just an opportunity to take part in my own disenfranchisement.

As opposed to not voting at all, which is an opportunity to completely own your own disenfranchisement.

If the European Parliament really mattered, people might vote in higher numbers.

UNC_Samurai: NO! Bad Idea! We forget in the midst of all our "go out and vote" rhetoric in this country that a good 25% of the eligible population are unadulterated morons. I would prefer them not voting.

They already are. That's the problem.

How do you think George Bush and Obama got elected? How do you think the Kerry got the nomination in 04 and the McCain in 08? Lewis Black said it best, "The fact of the matter is the Democrats not being able to find somebody to defeat George Bush is beyond belief. It's stunning. It would be like finding a normal person who would lose in the Special Olympics."

It almost makes a person want to reinstate literacy tests to vote. Sure they can and were abused, but when they weren't they kept the mind numbingly stupid people from voting.

If you want to make a point about national attitudes towards democracy, you should probably look at national elections to parliaments that really matter.
Not this.

Low voter turn out doesn't bother me, it just means that my vote counts more.

Crosshair: How about charging a $50 tax for not voting? Just a thought.

Though to be fair, you would have to have a "none of the above" option for people who don't like any of the choices.

I think voting is required by law in Belgium. Not sure though.

Jurodan: I believe that voting is required in Australia, there's even a fine if you don't vote. I'm not sure if I like voting being mandatory, but since I remember hearing they also have a write in/none of these choices slots, I guess it isn't too bad...

Voting in Australia at federal and state level is compulsory, which is a good thing I reckon. It influenced me to vote at 18, and ever since.

Of-course the fine if you don't vote is easily circumvented and I've never heard of some-one being fined for not voting anyway.

Personally, I've voted at every federal election since 1979 (when I turned 18), and fairly sure at all state elections too.

A lot of people in other countries don't like to waste their time.

Schadenfreude ist die schoenste Freude: How is that ironic?

Because people scream how every vote is important and you shouldn't waste your vote by voting for Perot instead of Kang or Kodos and yet your one single vote for the local dog catcher means a million times more than your vote for Kodos simply because a few dozen votes can mean a different dog catcher and yet nobody goes on about the local elections, just the presidential one.

Crosshair: How about charging a $50 tax for not voting? Just a thought.

Though to be fair, you would have to have a "none of the above" option for people who don't like any of the choices.

The thing with these elections is that they are a sham. The EU is not democratic in whatever way you look at it. Voting for the EU parliament just makes you partially responsible for what they do by acknowledging them.

/didn't vote

ilambiquated: Crosshair: How about charging a $50 tax for not voting? Just a thought.

Though to be fair, you would have to have a "none of the above" option for people who don't like any of the choices.

I think voting is required by law in Belgium. Not sure though.

In Belgium voting is mandatory if you are over 18, with fines or even jail time for repeat offenders... a lot of voters have no interest in politics and vote blank or random party. In the 1994 local elections, many people voted ultra-nationalist extreme-right without realizing.

In Luxembourg voting is mandatory if you registered as a voter. A lot of people complained about a lack of choice in this election, many friends looked at the bulletins for 5 hard minutes and voted blank.

/didn't vote, only found out that the pirateparty was also running in Germany after the registrations closed

My county sent a member of the BNP to the European Parliment.

I am not amused.

Commander Lysdexic: My county sent a member of the BNP to the European Parliment.

I am not amused.

In my county Labour was beaten into fifth by the Greens.

I am extremely amused.