Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Today's Survey Question 8-22-12

Should Voting Be Mandatory?

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

YES a lot of people fought and died to protect that right

Anonymous said...

Absolutely NOT! We already have too many uneducated voters in the ranks as it is. What should be mandatory is, if you want to vote, you need to educate yourself on all candidates and take a little test to show that you know the issues and where they stand before you are allowed to cast your vote. It's ridiculous now when you ask why someone voted for a candidate.

Anonymous said...

I would be nice and it's a good thing, however some don't do their homework so they don't know who or what they are voting for come election time.

Voting is not only a right, but a privilage. I don't know that being mandatory would make any improvements, I try to do my homework on candidates, but look what my vote for Ireton did, nothing but make me more Po'd!

Anonymous said...

11:02. I agree with you. We have too many uninformed voters now. All you have to do is look in the White House. Nuff said.

Anonymous said...

I have to agree with 11:02. We should be very concerned about folks voting that have absolutely no idea why they are voting for a candidate other than they belong to a particular party.

Anonymous said...


In Chicago its already mandatory dead people vote.

Anonymous said...

actually only people that pay taxes should be allowed to vote.

if you get a gov check, no vote

Anonymous said...

i agree with 11:02.
making a bad decision is worse than no decision at all.
yes, many people fought and are still fighting to protect that right but why waste the right and elect a president who could end up taking that right from us??

Anonymous said...

No, but we should have the right to use our single vote to take away a vote for a candidate. Doing so would allow us to express an opinion of, "I don't agree with any of the candidates, but I feel that this one would be the absolute worst possibility."

Anonymous said...

11:02 I agree!

Anonymous said...

No. Some times voters do not like the choices and do not want to vote for any of the candidates. That should be their choice to not vote at all then voting for what they perceive to be the lessor of 2 evils.

Anonymous said...

Enforcement of a mandatory voting law would be impossible.This of course is a random question pertaining to something that could not realistically happen,but it reminds me of the official 60% of laws already on the books that are unenforceable due to a rapidly increasing population.

Anonymous said...

IIRC, Philadelphia in 2010 had more registered voters than residents over 18.

Voting is a right restricted to citizens, and like any other right, is optional.

The electorate who do show up leave much to be desired; Heaven help us if the remainder ever came out!

Anonymous said...

Hell no I also think there should be a test that must be passed before you get a voters card.

Anonymous said...

What difference does, and would it make? The electoral college determines the winner, whether one votes or not, is educated about the candidates or not, etc.

Voting does not change anything. It merely gives the populace the illusion that they somehow control their destiny and that of a country and it's inhabitants.

But hey, have fun.

Anonymous said...

I agree with 11:19, If you pay taxes you get to vote. I'm not talking about Social Security or Medicare taxes I'm talking about FEDERAL INCOME taxes.

People who don't pay any federal income taxes should not have a say in who or how the country is being run because they don't have any stake in it (since they don't contribute to the cost of running the country).

Anonymous said...

i don't know about mandatory, but there ought to be an intelligence test qualifier!

Tom Goslee said...

First the Electoral College could not vote if no one voted so we do have a say in the voting process. Second, since voting is a right and privilege making it mandatory would nullify that. I do agree that only taxpaying US citizens should be allowed to vote. That is not racist nor discriminating it is common sense. The electoral college system should be revised to make it a percentage to each candidate rather than winner take all. Some states are like this already. Testing ones knowledge of candidates would be impractical, but everyone should take it more serious than picking a winning horse at the races by the color of their jockey's uniform or the horses name! Those on welfare, gov. hand outs or other entitlements have no skin in the game other than their own selfishness, and that only hurts the majority working man (woman)that support this country. Signed Not Anonymous

Unknown said...

Voting is right, and is not mandatory. What should be mandatory is knowing the where the candidates stands on issues.

Anonymous said...

I agree 100% with 12:36. The goal of democrats is to have more that half the country on the federal dole so they can maintain continuous power. They could care less about the country, its all about power to them.

Anonymous said...

Some of you who think someone need to take a test before the can become a register voter should update yourself on the reasoning behind the civil rights movement. Many blacks and whites fought real hard for folks like you to have that right to vote. Many of these people even lost their lives to ensure that people have the right to vote. That right will never be taken away from me. I have the right according to the constitution of these here United States of American to vote for the candidate I will choose, whether most of you like the candidate or not. It's my right.
For the rest of you, those elephant's and donkey's in the government are all money hungry and greedy as hell. But, the electoral votes is what really count.
It sounds like to me, some of you are trying to usher in the 1800's amd Jim Crow.

Anonymous said...

In a free country, nothing should be mandatory.

Anonymous said...

4:37, people voted for Obama last election because he was 'going to take care of them and give them Obama money'. Should they have the 'right' to vote? Yes, but they should educate themselves first. Or, at the very least, you shouldn't be allowed to vote unless you are the ones paying taxes and being affected by the decisions made by the politicians. The only thing some people care about is how much money they will be given to take care of them while they sit on their ass all day and collect welfare and 99 weeks of unemployment

Anonymous said...

No, our country was founded on the principles of choices. Voting is a choice. While it would be nice to have more informed voters, it is not realistic. Making voting mandatory would simply add another expensive layer of government to our lives.

Tom Goslee said...

I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. If it's mandatory that's just one more freedom taken away. No one needs to vote to get a president elected. We don't vote for presidents anyway. That other guy was right. It's all a joke and an illusion. I just had a brain fart. I'm so sorry.