General Election Vote

Should people be fined for not voting? It's one thought that comes to my mind at election time. I know you can be fined in Aussie for not voting, but I think a small for fine should be imposed if you deliberately spoil your ballot paper. I will be voting Thursday but I think this election will probably see a slightly higher turnout than last time, but even if that proves to be the case, it may still not be enough for any partry to gain an overall majority.

(04-05-2015 08:04 )Charlemagne Wrote:  The last few days before the election.
What has happened to Alex Salmond?
He's likely to have a major influence in the running of the country, but I haven't seen him once in the election run up.

Has he gone on holiday or has Nessie eaten him?

^ we can but hope

(04-05-2015 08:29 )SecretAgent Wrote:  ^ we can but hope

Which do you prefer seeing happening?

(04-05-2015 08:45 )babelover48 Wrote:  

(04-05-2015 08:29 )SecretAgent Wrote:  ^ we can but hope

Which do you prefer seeing happening?

Well if he went on holiday to Loch Ness..... (A rowing boat with space for half a dozen party leaders with him would not go amiss)

(04-05-2015 08:26 )babelover48 Wrote:  but I think a small for fine should be imposed if you deliberately spoil your ballot paper.

But it's a secret vote, so how would anyone know you had spoiled your paper?

It would require a major change of policy (and an army of invigilators) to physically monitor every vote taking place, not to mention the gross intrusion into our privacy.
I seem to recall that successive governments have outlawed things like mass votes for trade unions on things like strike actions, making it a requirement that it be a secret ballot to avoid 'intimidation', so it would be a major hypocrisy to make the general election non-secret.

As for compelling people to vote, I've always felt that's a bit daft. The objective should be to interest and engage people enough to get them to want to vote, or to choose not to vote as a sign of some sort of protest. If you have to order people to vote or suffer some kind of sanction, that alone is a sign that something is going badly wrong somewehere.

I thought he was on Tour with Simple minds

Well thats that Labour win Because Brand Delia Smith and Steve coogan come out for them

They(Lib Dems) seem to be doing well in areas where they are strong, where they have MP's or are were second behind Tories at last election

(03-05-2015 18:21 )winsaw Wrote:  I will be voting Lib Dem as I always do, where I live in Somerset its only them or Tories who can get in, I really think they could take west Somerset for the first time,
I don't think the LD will do as bad as the press are making out they still got a lot of support in my part of the world and ukip are taking a lot of torie votes lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr-iZi6FEWo
this is where i grew up in the 80's. i moved out in 1987 just as it started to get really bad. all bar a few mates still live there.
its still called the ridges by the locals, and for all the millions they spent its still suffering higher than average unemployment, nearly 25 years on.
for all the riots were a loing time ago, you cant walk around that estate without getting caught on at least 16 cctv cameras. which were put in under the guise of protecting the public in the surrounding areas.

its basically an open prison and the real shocker is the people living there dont even realize it.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.003674...rQHQ2w!2e0 the street thats seen in the opening shot of the docu...

if your voting conservative you need to give it a look as this was is a direct result of a second/third term in power where they really turned the screws on the poorest.