Do you vote?

[Turner]

Felons aren't allowed to vote, ostensibly because they've damaged society and should not take a part in shaping it.

Obligitory Wiki Reference

 

[Mirc]

Maybe if you let them vote, normal people would vote to make sure the felons cant outvote them?

(Am I over-estimating the intellegence of the average American here?)

 

[Turner]

Here's one on Felony disenfranchisement. I thought disenfranchised meant you were upset with something....I need to get out more.

 

[Pyrite]

Where's the human rights watch!?

Mm, I duno, I don't work much with prisoners really, but I know a lot of folks in anarchist black cross/books through bars do, and try to bring it into the limelight, there's simply not much support.

Keep in mind, a felony is only a crime over a year and a day worth of imprisonment.
You can lose the vote over some weed.

edit: disenfranchisement simply means being ignored or excluded from an established organization, at least that's how I always thought of it.

 

[classical_hero]

You can see Australia is weird see how they call Raisin Bran down there

It is you who are crazy.
Considering that I am of age, whereas azza isn't I vote even if I were not forced to vote.

 

[IglooDame]

Here's one on Felony disenfranchisement. I thought disenfranchised meant you were upset with something....I need to get out more.

The disenfranchised are almost always disenchanted too.

And I vote in all the major elections and most of the minor ones.

 

[MamboJoel]

I vote allmost at evey elections (so voted option number one), but I find it pretty useless since who ever wins the politics in office will be the same.

 

[Turner]

The disenfranchised are almost always disenchanted too.

I was probably thinking disenchanted.

 

[Grisu]

I almost always vote, which happens to be about 4 times per year

 

[Nobody]

I have only voted once, it was in the national election, There has only been one election since i turned 18. I cant be bothered voting in any local elections so i voted for the 1st options.

Its good in New Zealand we only need to elect members to the one house of parliament, the american system of electing house, senate and president is too much voting for me.

 

[Gingerbread Man]

I'm of voting age, and would vote at every occasion, even if it weren't compulsary. Just turning up is fine by me, to do my duty for the democracy.

Of course, an election hasn't come around since I have reached the age to vote. There'll be some elections next year, though

 

[Paradigne]

What countries make voting compulsory? I wish that it was that way in the USA... It's a pity that we have a negligible turnout ratio.

I'm REAL glad it isn't. So few people have a clue in this country as it is. Do you REALLY want people going in and picking a name out of a hat?

 

[jamiethearcher]

I vote for the big elections - Senate, President, MP (When I am in Canada)

I generally do not vote for the local elections (like mayor, or city council or what have you)

 

[Tycoon101]

I'm REAL glad it isn't. So few people have a clue in this country as it is. Do you REALLY want people going in and picking a name out of a hat?

There could be compulsory meetings that state what views the candidates have. It may even raise our nation's intelligence by an iota. Anything to have people become part of America instead of mooching off our tax dollars.

 

[Till]

I vote at every opportunity, mostly to keep extremists out of parliament/townhall.

 

[SuperBeaverInc.]

I voted in the last Canadian national election, and I plan on continuing to do that. I also plan to vote in the provincial and municipal elections.

 

[MamboJoel]

I vote at every opportunity, mostly to keep extremists out of parliament/townhall.

Yeah, at least this is a good reason, not very sexy but sufficient.

 

[tomsnowman123]

What countries make voting compulsory? I wish that it was that way in the USA... It's a pity that we have a negligible turnout ratio.

I think Brazil also has compulsory voting. As to your second point, it may be a pity that we have low voter turnout, but I think that it would be wrong to force someone to vote, especially since not voting can be used as a form of protest.

 

[Paradigne]

Even being strictly voluntary we have a 63.8% turn out in 2004. Thats with 72.1% registered to vote

http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/p20-556.pdf

 

[Pyrite]

A bit OT:

I want an absentee ballot this year, because I'm going to new orleans, yet my residence is still in new york....how do you do that?