[EM] compulsory voting

[Dave Ketchum]

More words than ideas, but I am trying to read it all - and did.

Started this where Abd misused the word absentee and Anthony correctly 
noted that proxy fit the circumstances better.

Then Abd mentioned his favorite, "Delegable proxy" - for which I like his 
intent, but Anthony objects as to details and I agree with Anthony that it 
is not ready to fly.

Anthony offered an idea worth considering here:  "Australians who don't 
want to vote on Saturday can pre-poll during the week before.  Pre-polling 
is safe from vote-buying/coercion, as it is done in a supervised polling 
place."

Another good offer from Anthony, who worries about coercion and 
corruption:  "I think it is OK to have isolated absentee ballots, but it 
is a worry if there are millions of them."

Preventing people from voting who the preventers suspected would vote 
"wrong" got mentioned.  I see this as a crime that rates prison time.
--------------------

I agree that fixing is needed, but choke on compulsory voting.

Nominating is a part of voting that all should be allowed to participate 
in.  If the nominating gets done well, many voters will see nothing to 
object to via ballot box, and should be allowed to stay home if they choose.

Above brings a worry about write-ins with low turnout.  Write-ins SHOULD 
be permitted but, if they would win because they, while too few 
to represent true backing, exceeded regular votes then - rule the election 
failed and redo it.

As I said above, anything that unreasonably gets in the way of a valid 
wannabe voter should get FIXED.

DWK

On Fri, 21 Oct 2005 15:43:10 +1000 (EST) Anthony Duff wrote:

> --- Abd ulRahman Lomax <abd at lomaxdesign.com> wrote:
> 
>>At 03:58 AM 10/18/2005, Chris Benham wrote:

...
-- 
  davek at clarityconnect.com    people.clarityconnect.com/webpages3/davek
  Dave Ketchum   108 Halstead Ave, Owego, NY  13827-1708   607-687-5026
            Do to no one what you would not want done to you.
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