Should Voting In The General Election Be Made Compulsory?

[sp1814]

Those who do not wish to support any party could have a 'None of the above' option.

Whaddya think?

[Prudie]

"(I have a friend who votes Labour "because my dad did"). Include mum, boyfriend, mates etc etc and I'd have thought that sums up 80% of the electorate. That seems normal to me.

[Baldric]

///Those who do not wish to support any party could have a 'None of the above' option///

Not a lot of point in compulsory if you're going to do that, is there?

[wiltsman]

Yes it should.

I'm now in my seventies - and although I've voted in every General Election I could, because the party I support has never been a winner in my constituency, as far as I'm concerned my vote counts for virtually nothing!

All I do is tactical voting, which where I live means voting Lib Dem, even though the Tories get in every time round here. I will do it with a heavy heart after the Lib Dems grasp for power in 2010, which meant they went back on many of their Eelction promises.

[Old_Geezer]

No.
No one has any right to take away someone's right to not vote.
It should be investigated why some are so needing control they keep suggesting they should be able to.

[joeluke]

Compulsory voting? Stupid idea, 'spoiled forms' would rack up most votes in some areas

Have never voted, won't ever waste my time/energy

Online voting would be good.......with a 'can't be arsed cos they're all liars' option

That would get my 'vote' every time

[DTCwordfan]

Can we vote to eliminate Nicola Sturgeon who is on TV at the moment and not an elected MP of Westminster......

Neither is Farage, mind you.

[Prudie]

I'd second that DTC, I should admire Nicola Sturgeon but she irritates me and is not pro-British either,

[ToraToraTora]

No, democracy is hard won, forcing people to vote is a tyranny in itself.

[DTCwordfan]

"Majority rule only works if you're also considering individual rights. Because you can't have five wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for supper."

So said one Larry Flynt

[naomi24]

//Can we vote to eliminate Nicola Sturgeon who is on TV at the moment and not an elected MP of Westminster......//

As far as I'm aware she's not standing for election.

[weecalf]

I'd make it compulsory for polititions to be only allowed to stand in two elections .i don't remember life with out some of these political war horses .

[Svejk]

DTCwordfan /// Can we vote to eliminate Nicola Sturgeon who is on TV at the moment and not an elected MP of Westminster ///
There aren't any elected MPs in the country at the moment.

[sp1814]

I don't see any issue with compulsory voting because we live in a democracy.

There are many things that are compulsory - that we all engage in, that do not affect our democratic rights.

And as to the 'None of the above' point - not everyone who doesn't vote will tick that. There will be a significant number of people who, after time, will become more engaged in expressing their democratic right...they won't 'feel' compelled at that point.

[EDDIE51]

Ummmm people DO vote for someone just because they like the name!
I know women who will only vote for a female, requardless of politics.
People vote for someone because they like their face or the clothes they wear!

[Jackdaw33]

The right to vote goes hand in hand with the right not to vote. Some religious groups, like the JWs, do not vote out of conviction. Are we to criminalise them?

[Jackdaw33]

I once knew a woman who was red-hot Labour, but if the Labour candidate was a catholic she would not vote for him, saying that she'd rather vote for a Tory than a catholic.

[sp1814]

Jackdaw33

I didn't know that about Jehovah's Witnesses!