Why do people look down on non-voters?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

You always hear, 'if you don't vote, then you have no riGht to complain'.

What the heck?  That makes no sense!  The proposition said backwards!  

Think about it, if you vote for a selfish, incompetent, dishonest person, and that person screws up the country, YOU have no right to complain!  Wanna know why?  Because you voted for them!  You're responsible for what that person did!  I, however, didn't vote, so I actually can complain.  You were the one who voted for that idiot, so you hold some responsibility for screwing up the country.


I'm not saying that I wouldn't vote if I could, but I think that non-voters shouldn't be looked down on.

What are your thoughts on this?

[j_menz]

In Australia, voting is compulsory (or at least turning up and putting in a ballot paper is). It doesn't affect our complaining.

If you vote for someone and they break a promise or don't live up to expectations, you have the extra right to complain because you voted for them on the basis of something that turned out to be untrue; you were, in a sense, defrauded of your vote.

If someone gets in who you didn't vote for, you can complain about them, and all the idiots who did vote for them.

If someone gets in and you didn't vote to stop them, then you really can't complain, because you had your chance and didn't take it.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

If someone gets in who you didn't vote for, you can complain about them, and all the idiots who did vote for them.

If someone gets in and you didn't vote to stop them, then you really can't complain, because you had your chance and didn't take it.

Well we all know that a single vote isn't going stop someone from getting elected, so you do have the right to complain unless if you're like the borderline voter that determines who gets elected. 

So those two statements are the same thing. 

If someone gets in and you didn't vote at all, or for that person, then you have the right to complain.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

If you vote for someone and they break a promise or don't live up to expectations, you have the extra right to complain because you voted for them on the basis of something that turned out to be untrue; you were, in a sense, defrauded of your vote.

Almost all politicians are Incompetent and dishonest.  So clearly voters shouldn't blindly believe everything a politician says.

[j_menz]

Not voting is the same as saying either "I don't care who wins" or "My opinion doesn't matter". Either way, your complaints won't carry much force.

[j_menz]

Almost all politicians are Incompetent and dishonest.  

Surely you mean "or". If they're both, it's not such a problem. 

Incidentally, so are most voters. Or non-voters.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Not voting is the same as saying either "I don't care who wins" or "My opinion doesn't matter"

Well that's only if you actually think that way.

You could also not be voting because you think that everyone sucks. 

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Surely you mean "or". If they're both, it's not such a problem. 

But they're not synonyms?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Incidentally, so are most voters. Or non-voters.

Which brings me to something else!  

Everyone's complaining about how bad politicians are!  Well it's not their fault, it's your countries fault!  

So for instance, in America, these politicians come from American families, go to Ameican schools, American colleges, etc...  So it's not the politicians that are bad, it's the American people that suck!

[outin]

In Australia, voting is compulsory (or at least turning up and putting in a ballot paper is). It doesn't affect our complaining.

 

Do you go to jail or something if you do not vote? Are the police gathering people from their home and drive them to the voting place?

[outin]

It's simple... If  you cannot find a candidate that does not suck, you should run for the post yourself, otherwise you should not complain, right?

After all, why should anyone be excused from the (shitty) job of running the society?

I think the best thing would be to have a ballot each time and those citizens who get (un)lucky will be voted on. It's amazing how people change when they have to take some responsibility themselves  

[j_menz]

Do you go to jail or something if you do not vote?

There is a (relatively modest) fine.

[j_menz]

But they're not synonyms?

Which do you mean? "And" and "or", or "incompetent" and "dishonest".  Neither set are synonyms.

[outin]

There is a (relatively modest) fine.

I wonder how a law like that ever passed...

But I guess the government has to get income somewhere 

[j_menz]

I wonder how a law like that ever passed...

It had, and continues to have majority popular support.

[outin]

It had, and continues to have majority popular support.

So what if you live in the middle of nowhere, does the govermnent compensate for the trip to the voting place or arrange something if you are disabled? Can you be excused by medical reasons?

[j_menz]

So what if you live in the middle of nowhere, does the govermnent compensate for the trip to the voting place or arrange something if you are disabled? Can you be excused by medical reasons?

We have a system that allows people to vote by postal ballot, though there are polling stations in some remarkably remote locations.

There are reasons that one can be excused, but they are limited.  Some "medical reasons" exist, but take into account the availability of alternate methods of voting.

One side effect is that we never have anything like the queues to vote that one sees in other places. Because the numbers are pretty much known, there are no excuses for inadequate polling places.

[outin]

We have a system that allows people to vote by postal ballot, though there are polling stations in some remarkably remote locations.

There are reasons that one can be excused, but they are limited.  Some "medical reasons" exist, but take into account the availability of alternate methods of voting.

One side effect is that we never have anything like the queues to vote that one sees in other places. Because the numbers are pretty much known, there are no excuses for inadequate polling places.

Ok, thanks.

Here people seem to vote reasonably well voluntarily. In the latest parlament election 70,5% of the ones allowed did vote. We can also vote before the actual election day in several places, but not yet in the internet (this has been discussed a lot and I think there was a trial last time)

[49410enrique]

i choose not to vote. i can complain, if anything i have just as much a right to as a voter since you can complain if you think the whole lot of them are douche bags and need to be thrown out.

if you're given the option to eat a cat turd or a dog turd, and you choose to just stay hungry, you can't complain there's nothing good to eat?  i don't get it.

i refuse to eat turds.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

It's simple... If  you cannot find a candidate that does not suck, you should run for the post yourself, otherwise you should not complain, right?

You can still complain even if you don't wanna run.  That's redicilous, I would change my life by running because I think a couple politicians suck?

However, if I was president...  

I would carry out Scriabins Mysterium.

[outin]

Y
However, if I was president...  

I would carry out Scriabins Mysterium.

Just go for it, I'll certainly vote for you!

Or at least my alter ego Valentina would, I guess I won't qualify for your elections 

[ajspiano]

There is a (relatively modest) fine.

$20 i think..  for a first offence.