Elfdart wrote:That's what happens when most people don't vote, which is how things go over here.
Actually, people have to vote after they're 18, if you don' t you get a fine.
You only have to vote and can only vote in Australia if you are on the electrol roll.
Most people get signed up onto it in highschool without realizing it.
"Okay, I'll have the truth with a side order of clarity." ~ Dr. Daniel Jackson.
"Reality has a well-known liberal bias." ~ Stephen Colbert
"One Drive, One Partition, the One True Path" ~ ars technica forums - warrens - on hhd partitioning schemes.
Stofsk wrote:
I should explain: in Australia, it is compulsory to register on the electoral roll if you're of age,
Actually it isnt compulsory to register onto the electoral roll. You can obstain from doing that. However you cant vote in any; Council, state or federal government elections or any consitutional referendums.
The other method of 'abstaining' is the 'donkey vote' - which is where you write on the ballot paper "Fuck you arseholes, I hate you all!" and then put that in the box. Such 'votes' are discounted by the Commission.
Actually as far as I'm aware, the "donkey vote" is just to filling in the vote card from top to bottom(since you dont vote once, but provide a list of perferances for every candidate/party). Fairly simple and a perfectly valid vote, and is one of the reasons the major parties are near the top of the vote card
"Okay, I'll have the truth with a side order of clarity." ~ Dr. Daniel Jackson.
"Reality has a well-known liberal bias." ~ Stephen Colbert
"One Drive, One Partition, the One True Path" ~ ars technica forums - warrens - on hhd partitioning schemes.
Stofsk wrote:I swear I heard the term 'donkey vote' being used to describe what I wrote above. Oh well, no matter.
I'm pretty sure ggs is right.
What you've described is what I'd call... creative politics.
Though this does create an interesting question, what happens if there's a majority vote for "Eat shit and die?"
"Oh no, oh yeah, tell me how can it be so fair
That we dying younger hiding from the police man over there
Just for breathing in the air they wanna leave me in the chair
Electric shocking body rocking beat streeting me to death"
- A.B. Original, Report to the Mist
"I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately."
- George Carlin
Admiral Valdemar wrote:At the risk of sounding cheesy; it's the American way.
It is, though.
Part of the American culture is being taught by the TV since birth to be lazy, apathetic, and whiny. The result is a bunch of people who would rather stay home in from of the coloured box and whine about things they could have changed, but didn't. I know because I was a part of this culture, and it took a shitload of work and dis-illusionment to get out of it.
Perhaps fines for not voting wouldn't be a good idea, but how about some sort of tax-break for those who *do* vote? That would get people off the couches.
-Damien
Gaian Paradigm: Because not all fantasy has to be childish crap. Ephemeral Pie: Because not all role-playing has to be shallow. My art: Because not all DA users are talentless emo twits. "Phant, quit abusing the He-Wench before he turns you into a caged bitch at a Ren Fair and lets the tourists toss half munched turkey legs at your backside." -Mr. Coffee
Oh well, no matter.
