OT: Voting In The USA

[Guest guest]

Hi Merinda,

 

> Morning all,

>

> For an Australian the system in the US is almost funny in that you don't

> HAVE to vote. It is compulsory here and if you don't vote you face a fine.

 

It is also compulsory here in Turkey .. and folks can be fined if they

don't vote .. but nobody has ever figured out a system for determining

who did and who didn't vote. ;-)

 

> If you are not happy with your secret vote (you don't have to register and

> list with a party) you just drop a blank form into the box.

 

We are not required to have party affiliation either .. though in some

states one must register to be able to vote in local elections.

 

> I have been watching and feeling amused about all the kurfuffle about getting

> out and voting - no apathy - get out there. Make it compulsory (the freedom of

> deciding who to vote for or not give you the freedom to say 'You stuffed up

and

> I will do my darndest to vote you out next time'; and make the election held

on

> a Saturday (when fewer people go out to work); get everyone to work the same

> sort of system and it will make it easier for people to vote.

 

Not easy to mandate such requirements in the USA due to States Rights.

Trying to make anything compulsory in the USA is something most folks in

Congress would rather not deal with. Plus the fact that we don't have a

single Federal system it would take some mighty heavy court action to

get the individual states to comply with a Congressional dictate to do

this or that.

 

> I will now confess that I am what is called a swinging voter and I hate the

> people we have in power now. OK, soapbox broke!

 

I too am a swing voter .. and hate extremists be they right or left of

the political spectrum. Y'all keep smiling. :-) Butch