Disappointing voter turnout in my precinct.

Platapus · 11-04-10, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_tyrant

why can't people internet vote or phone vote?
It would increase voter turnout drastically

Anything in the Internets Tubes would be impossible to secure. People can vote through the mail, but are too lazy to even do that.

One thing I would be in favour of is making Election Day a federal and state holiday. That would get more people to vote. It has been suggested in Congress and consistently shot down.

GoldenRivet · 11-04-10, 06:29 PM

yes voter turn out in these sorts of elections is rather pathetic.

"If you don't vote, you deserve the government you get" thats what i always say

the_tyrant · 11-04-10, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Platapus

Anything in the Internets Tubes would be impossible to secure. People can vote through the mail, but are too lazy to even do that.

One thing I would be in favour of is making Election Day a federal and state holiday. That would get more people to vote. It has been suggested in Congress and consistently shot down.

that might be a consideration, but I think in the future internet voting should be implemented. Since the US has like the best encryption technology, with ecliptic curve and AES encryption methods.

And people and confident enough to enter personal information and wire money on the internet anyways

Platapus · 11-04-10, 06:56 PM

One would have to prove that voting on the Internets Tubes is secure.

And how would one go about "proving" that?

Hell, I am even against the electronic voting machine we had in our precinct. I won't use it. There are many instances where technology improves things, voting is not one of them. I like paper ballots (of course not the stupid punch ones).

August · 11-04-10, 07:28 PM

Elections are decided by who votes. Frankly as a voter I am glad not to have to share that power with those who can't be bothered to do their civic duty. Let the people who care about the community make the decisions for the community.

Now there are various schemes for making voting easier which are not the direction we should be taking imo. Voting by mail, or worse email, even using electronic voting machines. All these modern methods just beg to be corrupted and manipulated by someone.

I want the act of voting to include a voter showing up in public somewhere, having their ID verified as a properly registered voter of that precinct, and then having some privacy to cast a hard copy secret ballot that has to be hand counted, tabulated and recorded by their fellow citizens. The only exception i'd make to those requirements would be military absentee ballots.

Platapus · 11-04-10, 07:45 PM

August,

You bring up a good point.

As an Election Officer, I see an "interesting" cross section of my community. There are times when I think that this idea of Universal Suffrage may not be such a grand idea.

What get's me is that we have a lot of people come in to vote and this is the first time they have looked at the ballot!

In Virginia we had some pretty complicated constitutional issues to be voted on. How can a person vote on such a complicated issue if the only thing they are looking at is the two sentence ballot issue??

I swear what these people would really want is if we were to include at the bottom of the issues

The Republican Party wants you to vote this way
The Democratic Party wants you to vote this way

Seeing the number of voters copying directly from the "sample" ballots the party representatives give them, I am convinced few of them even understand the issue. The politically correct term is "Low Information Voter"

One of these elections I want to show up for my Election Officer duty dressed as a sheep shepherd. Just herd them in and herd them out.

As a result, my county will sell yet another bond (deficit financing) and my State will increase tax expenditures.

Folks, we aint gots the money for this!!!!!

Sigh, Universal Suffrage. A great concept, but a lousy reality.

TLAM Strike · 11-04-10, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by August

I want the act of voting to include a voter showing up in public somewhere, having their ID verified as a properly registered voter of that precinct, and then having some privacy to cast a hard copy secret ballot that has to be hand counted, tabulated and recorded by their fellow citizens.

Shall I assume that under your system the ballots will be marked in blood too?

Ducimus · 11-04-10, 08:01 PM

I didn't vote, because it doesn't make any difference. (yes, you heard me) I have no faith in either party, nor any candidates. I view it all as systemically broken. No matter who gets elected, everybody loses. The real power in this country isn't with the voter, but lobbiests, special interest groups, and corporate dollars. That never changes except for who's strings they are pulling.

I posted this before, i'll post it again.

Except for the reversal of "no right to complain", I think he's is 100% spot on. Though, in a sense, he's correct there as well because no matter who you vote for, the end result will be the same. So vote for one, or the other, either way your equally at fault when the politicians invariably do the exact same crap they always do.

Nothing short of a political revolution, and the breaking up of both party's, will anything ever change.

Platapus · 11-04-10, 08:13 PM

If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the precipitate

or some thing like that.

That does not sound right.

Platapus · 11-04-10, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by August

I want the act of voting to include a voter showing up in public somewhere, having their ID verified as a properly registered voter of that precinct, and then having some privacy to cast a hard copy secret ballot that has to be hand counted, tabulated and recorded by their fellow citizens.

That's what we have in Virginia with the paper ballots. As for the electronic ballots........

11-04-10, 06:29 PM	#2
GoldenRivet Subsim Aviator Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 8,729 Downloads: 146 Uploads: 0	yes voter turn out in these sorts of elections is rather pathetic. "If you don't vote, you deserve the government you get" thats what i always say __________________

11-04-10, 06:56 PM	#4
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,444 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	One would have to prove that voting on the Internets Tubes is secure. And how would one go about "proving" that? Hell, I am even against the electronic voting machine we had in our precinct. I won't use it. There are many instances where technology improves things, voting is not one of them. I like paper ballots (of course not the stupid punch ones). __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.

11-04-10, 07:28 PM	#5
August Wayfaring Stranger Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 23,256 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Elections are decided by who votes. Frankly as a voter I am glad not to have to share that power with those who can't be bothered to do their civic duty. Let the people who care about the community make the decisions for the community. Now there are various schemes for making voting easier which are not the direction we should be taking imo. Voting by mail, or worse email, even using electronic voting machines. All these modern methods just beg to be corrupted and manipulated by someone. I want the act of voting to include a voter showing up in public somewhere, having their ID verified as a properly registered voter of that precinct, and then having some privacy to cast a hard copy secret ballot that has to be hand counted, tabulated and recorded by their fellow citizens. The only exception i'd make to those requirements would be military absentee ballots. __________________ Flanked by life and the funeral pyre. Putting on a show for you to see.

11-04-10, 07:45 PM	#6
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,444 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	August, You bring up a good point. As an Election Officer, I see an "interesting" cross section of my community. There are times when I think that this idea of Universal Suffrage may not be such a grand idea. What get's me is that we have a lot of people come in to vote and this is the first time they have looked at the ballot! In Virginia we had some pretty complicated constitutional issues to be voted on. How can a person vote on such a complicated issue if the only thing they are looking at is the two sentence ballot issue?? I swear what these people would really want is if we were to include at the bottom of the issues The Republican Party wants you to vote this way The Democratic Party wants you to vote this way Seeing the number of voters copying directly from the "sample" ballots the party representatives give them, I am convinced few of them even understand the issue. The politically correct term is "Low Information Voter" One of these elections I want to show up for my Election Officer duty dressed as a sheep shepherd. Just herd them in and herd them out. As a result, my county will sell yet another bond (deficit financing) and my State will increase tax expenditures. Folks, we aint gots the money for this!!!!! Sigh, Universal Suffrage. A great concept, but a lousy reality. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.

11-04-10, 08:13 PM	#9
Platapus Fleet Admiral Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 19,444 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 0	If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the precipitate or some thing like that. That does not sound right. __________________ abusus non tollit usum - A right should NOT be withheld from people on the basis that some tend to abuse that right.

11-04-10, 08:01 PM	#8
Ducimus Rear Admiral Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 12,987 Downloads: 67 Uploads: 2	I didn't vote, because it doesn't make any difference. (yes, you heard me) I have no faith in either party, nor any candidates. I view it all as systemically broken. No matter who gets elected, everybody loses. The real power in this country isn't with the voter, but lobbiests, special interest groups, and corporate dollars. That never changes except for who's strings they are pulling. I posted this before, i'll post it again. Except for the reversal of "no right to complain", I think he's is 100% spot on. Though, in a sense, he's correct there as well because no matter who you vote for, the end result will be the same. So vote for one, or the other, either way your equally at fault when the politicians invariably do the exact same crap they always do. Nothing short of a political revolution, and the breaking up of both party's, will anything ever change.