Do you vote?

Yep, election day today in my state. And dang, we need change. Watching the news today, I saw that some preciencts (sp) only got 30% turnout. 30% F'ing percent!

It is not hard, just stand in line for a little while, show your ID, and VOTE! If you have something going on during an election, try the absentee(sp) vote.

I hope the 30% turnout is just due to early returns. But I am not holding my breath.

Sorry, just frustrated with my home state. I think I need to move.

E

 

Personally I vote by post as it is much less hassle

Is this a local election or is this the Presidential voting? I am not sure about how the US voting system works

 

Voting at the Federal and state level is compulsory in Australia
It is voluntary at the local level for local councilors and for the mayor

I vote at all four levels.

You can't complain about them if you don't actually vote

 

Local election Grumbles. We need a new Goveror and a few other folks.

Compulsory voting? Rock on Shanemail!

And if you don't vote, ya' can't bi$$. Looks like my guy for Governor may win without a runnoff!

E

You know you are old when you stay up and watch the news on the local races. Well, I got plenty of beer...

 

Voting in Belgium is also compulsory at all levels.

if you have a legit reason you have to take your id card (or get someone to do it for you) with proof of your inability to vote I.E a signed letter from your doctor or some other proof if you don't it's not long after the election that you have a knock on the door (the GOON squad) and a big fine.

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/9555/49951809xa7.jpg

 

At all levels - even better

 

Dang it, I need to move there. Things need to change in the US. And you have all that killer beer/ale.

E

 

You are very welcome here Fred we try to be friendly to all who visit us and we ply them with our best beverages in order to extract the maximum amount of there spending money.http://www.getsmile.com/emoticons/smileys-91853/u/robberhat.gif

 

We are 5 weeks or so out from a federal election, it would be very difficult to be uninformed do to the media coverage and the sledging from the parties involved.

I tend to think that if voting is not compulsory, the people who need change the most (the disillusioned) are the ones least likely to vote.

 

With so much 'spin' around it would be a full time job to actually find out and assess all of the 'facts'

I vote based on the parties basic platform
and just ignore the details
unfortunately for most people it is just a popularity contest (lesser of two evils generally )
or they vote to suit the short term benefits to their hip pockets - which the politicians love

 

I don't have a problem with the compulsary voteing although i must admit it was a shock to the system when i first came to Belgium.

one of the things that does make me angry is when people are complaining about their elected representatives and when asked "did you vote" the reply is no i don't see any point they are all the same" that may be the case but if you want to make a change get out there and do your civic duty.

no disrespect to you lady's but don't forget women fought to get the right to vote.

at the moment we have here 4 politicians in jail all for the same thing misuse of funds and corruption and 4 months after the federal elections we still don't have a prime minister due to the fact we are a multilingual country (DUTCH FRENCH and GERMAN) and the French representative keeps vetoing the selections because the chosen minister is a Dutch speaking member.

we are the joke of Europe at the moment.(just like our soccer teamroflmao)

http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/3046/78679459mo5.jpg

 

I guess we are lucky in that regard, all of our politicians speak the same language - BS

 

Heck, Louisiana is #1 in the worst and #50 in the best stuff. Hopefully it will get better here.

Any good jobs in Belgium...?

E

 

I had no idea that voting was compulsory in Belgium. Here in scotland, we have a choice whether to vote or not I think the percentage of the people who turn out to vote is about 30% on average.
Our government is run by the Scottish National Party, with the Labour Party in 2nd. We are still part of the UK and our goverment is still ruled by the Prime Minister (Labour Party) in Westminster, England

If this confuses you, don't worry it confuses us here too

 

check this out Fred

http://www.expatica.com/actual/toc.asp?subchannel_id=45&name=Belgium+Employment

 

Naw, I started doing that at 13 . I was finally old enough to vote in 2006. 2008 will be my first presidential election. In my senior year of high school in my government class, my teacher asked the class who was planning on voting in the next election. I was the only one to raise my hand. It's sickening that other young people don't vote.

 

Absolutely I do. Not only that, but I'm part of the volunteer team for my union local that makes sure everyone is registered, and gives people a ride to the polls if they need it.

Last election here, I went at about 2pm (they opened at 7am). I was voter #29 in my precinct. rolleyes I don't get it, either.

 

That is just bizarre

We have just had our local elections for the whole of the state where I live
It is voluntary and postal

My locality (Albany) had a 49% participation rate which was the best for the state, some localities got down to 24%.

Now we will just have to wait and see if they all voted for the right people
ie: the ones I voted for

 

yes i do...i understand the resistance to the political spin but as geeks I think we have responsibility to inform and educate.

 

In limbo - can't vote legally anywhere right now.

 

I never believed MY vote counted and was convinced of the fact in 1980 when they announced the winner before the polls were closed and before Hawaii was part way through.
It created a discussion at work the next day to say the least. Me being the stay at home mom was given explanations such as - it was due to the electoral votes, once they are in the peoples one one one doesn't count. I asked about electoral votes, was told each state has so many. Who controls them, was my next question? Well they thought (these are all people with extensive collage degrees.
Congressmen, Senators, all had a spin on it but what was correct? This went on for days, looking up all information, contacting old professors. In the end everyone was as confused as I.
Then double term of Bush.
I did vote for Arnold thinking we were getting the empathy for people the Kennedy's had.


In a word NO.

 

Sorry you feel that way Darlene1029. It is not perfect, but I try to get out and vote each time. Just sad to me that 30% are deciding what the 100% will get.

E

 

im 42 and have only voted once in my life when i first turned 18. if anyone has ever seen any of our politicians they will know why:banghead wait to you hear this!!! our parlament was suspended of four days! the reason why? one of the parties refused to attend the sessions because someone was sitting in the seats they usually sat in:confused i rest my case

 

Something else came to mind while in the thread (trying to find a will) On a number of occasions people have voted on something to have it held up or turned around deemed unconstitutional, by big money factors mostly ie: insurance companies.

 

PS, I'm wakening up now LOL The people of California voted in 1996 to legalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Now the federal government is stepping in and closing facilities, who were issued permits to distribute such products, arresting the operators.
Now why allow the people to vote if it isn't going to be upheld and protected?

 

I am not really up on federal vs state, local laws. And I certainly know our system is by no means perfect. But I believe every vote counts. Where I live, government corruption has been going on so long it is just considered normal. Drives me crazy some times. I think voting, at least on the local level is needed.

The politicains make (or break in a lot of cases) the laws. We elect them. And if more people get into it and vote, we might get better politicians. Old folks vote a lot around here. They don't work, so they get out and vote. A lot of the younger people are too busy...

Politicians seem to live on polls/surveys. If more people vote, maybe better politicians will be elected, and better laws passed.

Just my thoughts, no offence meant. If you don't want to vote, I can't make you.

E

 

Firstly, I do believe people should make an effort to exercise their democratic right to vote. If they don't - then what right do they have to complain when things are unsatisfactory.

But if the above quote was true, then since, as stated, voting is compulsory in Australia, then we should have great politicians. I assure you, we don't. When the choice is between a rotten apple and a rotten pear, one is still left with a bad taste in your mouth, regardless of choice and result.

 

They act like children :crybaby

These politicians forget that it was WE the people who voted them in to represent us :mad

G

 

What do you mean our/your prime minister Gordon Brown is Scottish

Nah dont bother,I voted for which party should represent us in europe but thats it.

So heres why I dont vote we have two main parties that are worth squat Labour and conservative as you can imagine conservative are all for middle class people and labour were all for working class people but since labour have got in power they have proved to be more conservative than the conservatives so whos left to vote for,libertal?No thanks,Green party nah I dont want to live in a tent in the forest

The main point is you have no idea what people are going to do when they are in power no matter what they say before hand we now know they are ALWAYS lying,the democracy system as we know it is seriously flawed in the UK and US,until they are held accountable to they're pre election pledges whats the point?Voting gives the illusion we have some say in how our countries are run but the rich people and special interest groups will always run them.

If I lived stateside I'd vote for Ron Paul just for fun the guy says he's gonna abolish the federal bank and income tax roflmao

 

I live in Australia, so I can vote, or I can get a fine.

Mmmmm lots of choices there.

 

Excellent system IMHO, especially for local elections where only a small percentile of people decide who to have as the mayor for example. Then when you find out the mayor is a complete dork, you only have yourself to blame.

 

So if I decide to not vote and that one vote wouldn't have changed anything anyway it's still my fault? I am not responsible for who gets the power, the people are. If 700 people decide they want a facist and I don't want one then I have two choices, deal with it (In whatevert way I have in mind), or get out.

Personally I don't know who I want in power and I certainly don't want my ignorance of politics :***ing things up. Anyway if things are bad this time around then people will know who to vote for next time wont they?

 

Welp, you could always vote for David Ike.

rolleyes

http://www.davidicke.com/index.php/

 

roflmao

 

Haha he's like Alex Jones on crack or Alex Jones with lizard people...