U.S. Voting

[coRtALoS]

Something that's become a topic of discussion as of late in my college classes. Do those of you that are United States citizens feel that the lack of voting in public elections, not just national, but state and local elections as well, has reached a point where it's a major crisis, something that needs to be carefully watched, or something that's bound to go on the rise once the public realizes that fewer and fewer people are controlling who gets elected?

I think I remember hearing the U.S. voting percentages were somewhere around 49.08% for national elections in 1996, and they progressively got worse the more localized the voting.

If you're from another country, please feel free to add any figures you've found. I used to have more up-to-date figures until I lost my notebook, but comparing the U.S. to countries where Australia, which has a voter turnout of somewhere in the high 80% shows that implacing a fine on people that don't vote might not be such a bad idea. And while it might make more people that we don't want to vote, get out of their house on election day, it would at least, hopefully, increase public awareness to the political changes going on within our government. :-/

 

[OMGLOLWTFPWN]

I don't know the percent but I know for municipal areas the percents are very low.

 

[DigitalElite]

Well...as for other people I don't know, but if I was 18 I would definitely vote. I have been found to get more and more into the election.

Go Kerry!

 

[B~E]

So people think that their vote dont matter. So people are right. So what ?
I'd like to point out that, generaly, when people lose interest in voting, or politics in general, its another one of the signs that a civilisation is on the brink of declin. Other signs include :
-increase in anti-social behavior, such as drug use, and crime
- family decay, including increased rate of divorce, illigitimacy, and teen-pregnancy.
-decline in "social capita", that is, membership in voluntary associations and the interpersonal trust associated with such membership.
-general declin of work ethic, and a cult of self- indulgence
-decrease in the comitment of earning activity, such as school.
-And finaly, the general belief that they are on top of the world, that history has ended, that they are the pinacle of human social achivement, and the final form of human society.

 

[DigitalElite]

so america is all but the last one?

 

[-Sh1Ft-]

Anyony but bush 2004.

 

[B~E]

Its kind of funny, comming from a guy with Hitler (or a guy that look like him, I think the real hitler had a more round-shaped face, not quit has long as the guy in the pic) in his sig.

 

[Renzokuken]

Voting is compulsory in Australia. And it should be everywhere else. How else are you going to get a fair election then?

 

[B~E]

Voting is compulsory ? I think thats a great idea. But what happen if you dont actualy vote ? you get a fine ?

 

[coRtALoS]

As stated in my first post. :rolleyes

Yeah, if I remember correctly from my Political Science class, it was something like $90? Please correct me Renz.