Getting the Masses to Vote

[Andy Mancini]

Every major election year, television and radio stations nationwide run public service annoncements imploring people to vote. In the past, everyone from Steven Tyler to some disaffected twenty-something has told me to "rock the vote" or whatever. Sadly, these ads rarely work. What is needed is a new campaign; something that everyone can relate too. And what is this magical thing, you ask? Commercials for monster truck rallies. The voice-over guy probably works cheap too. I'm thinking it would sound something like this:




In the year 2000, there was an election for president of the United States of America... AND THE CARNAGE WAS LEGENDARY!

...And now it's back.

Haliburton and Heinz Foods proudly present: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2004!

Come see reining USA champion, the monster George W. Bush take on Senator John Kerry for the title of supreme ruler of the country!

Also appearing will be Ralph Nader in his socially responsible, eco-friendly, nitro-burning funny car! And kids of all ages will enjoy the wacky antics of the "Third Party Clowns" comedy troupe!

And make sure you stay for Quad Wars featuring "ol' unreliable" Dick Cheney taking on young upstart Senator John Edwards! He's the canidate your dead relatives want you to vote for!

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2004!

Vote twice for only $6!

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2004!

November 2nd, 2004 at your local polling place.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2004!

Tickets available at every major courthouse and DMV in the United States of America. Children under eightteen admitted free with parent. Gates open at seven in the morning.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2004!

Don't you dare miss it!

[Jaguar]

I still say draft everyone who doesn't vote.

[RZetlin]

If you want to get everybody to vote follow Australia's example.

Fine anybody that doesn't vote (http://www.neto.com/rcr/outbac6.html).


In Australia you must register as a voter at age 18. Failure to vote in Federal elections carries a fine. My ham-radio friend said that as he recalled, the fine was about $50. According to an Australian university web site, approximately 94-96% of eligible people voted in recent years in Federal elections. Some simply do not register and some who are registered opt to pay the fine. Some are excused for health reasons or "good reasons." Australia is one of about 20 countries that have some form of compulsory voting law. Among them, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Egypt, and so on.

[EinBebop]

If you want to get everybody to vote follow Australia's example.

Fine anybody that doesn't vote (http://www.neto.com/rcr/outbac6.html).Then the masses will vote for the guy who promises to repeal the fines. :p

[James]

Same in the UK - we need a method to get a better turn out. The only two points that bother me is a) Isn't it a democratic right not to vote as well? b) those who don't vote often know little of politics - would that mean you'd get people who are uninformed voting - would that benefit the system anymore?

I think you need more than fines to get people to vote, you need to educate them to vote as well. People seem to forget that. Each party by definition stands for someone. It's a matter of educating people independantly what sort of basic criteria each party offers and giving them a better understanding of who they are signing for.

Quite if that's possible I have no idea.. :p Besides, I suppose when it comes down to it how do you define an informed voter? Someone who has strong support for a party - rarely are people like that inpartial....

I don't know. I think fines would be good. Since everyone has an opinion on issues like iraq it's about time everyone put their money where their mouth is and put a vote that counts for that opinion.

[RZetlin]

I wonder if it's better if elections weren't held at all since most Americans are content with sitting on their asses and ignoring the political issues around them.

[sun]

Some people are just too lazy to vote, they don't care about much..Ok, Not much you can do with those...But for the rest, it lies with my ex profession. Education..Certainly we, can do a better job at insisting how important it is to vote..Most peple, think one vote doesn't count,,,The current President was elected by a very small number percentage wise, probably one in 6 or 700,( or one fifth of a percent) voting in another direction, would have made the difference in Florida, and the Nation. In l960, Kennedy, as I have said, giving the Democrates equal space, was elected by l in 500 in Illinois, therefore winning the election. Discussion is good, taking an undecided voter, to the polls, is much better..Give them a ride, walk with them. Ride the bus to to polls with someone who is not sure of voting..That is exactly how the political parties do it..Identify who is on your side, then confirm they will vote, then take them to the polls and make sure they vote...Now I am not advocating a candidate here, this is not what this thread is about..But if you take someone to the polls on election day, who might have not gone otherwise, you are really doing all you can do to make the election one that incudes all..Oh don't forget, VERY IMPORTANT! If that person is not registered, it is so easy, get him/her to register..do that too, and you really have added to our democracy....Thanks for reading all of this..Stuart:)

[Psycho Fox]

I wonder if it's better if elections weren't held at all since most Americans are content with sitting on their asses and ignoring the political issues around them.
Not really, the CBC did a special called "Screw the Vote" to find out why people don't vote. Some don't vote because they don't like any candidate, others don't like the system since who ever wins are not likely to reform the election process (Like having instant runoff voting) that brought them into power.

[HumanoidTyphoon]

*reads first post*
*goes to vote*

[sun]

[QUOTE=Jaguar]I still say draft everyone who doesn't vote.[/QUOTe} And I am sure that this would work too..but I am afraid that Congress would not pass it, and the President wouldn't sign it.. But the idea would get everyone to vote.Congratulations with coming up with a great idea...:)

[Clayface]

I wonder if it's better if elections weren't held at all since most Americans are content with sitting on their asses and ignoring the political issues around them.

The voting rate of all citizens both registered and nonregistered rose from 58 percent to 60 percent between the 1996 and 2000 elections.

The voting rate of citizens who were registered rose sharply in 2000 as 86 percent cast ballots, compared with the all-time low of 82 percent in 1996.

40% of people not voting is hardly "most" of the American citizens. And, as Psycho Fox pointed out, there are other reasons that people don't vote besides not caring.

[sun]

The voting rate of all citizens both registered and nonregistered rose from 58 percent to 60 percent between the 1996 and 2000 elections.

The voting rate of citizens who were registered rose sharply in 2000 as 86 percent cast ballots, compared with the all-time low of 82 percent in 1996.

40% of people not voting is hardly "most" of the American citizens. And, as Psycho Fox pointed out, there are other reasons that people don't vote besides not caring. I guess this is a good point - 60% is not bad, It sure would be nice if 75% of all people who could vote (that would include those that would need to rgisteer) in this country, in November did indeed vote..I think we will have a record this time, maybe that 60 will go to 66 or two thirds..that would be better but the stakes are too high for it not to be much better in my opinion..Stuart

[sun]

See post 3ll in the Election for Pres thread, it will also discuss how to get the masses to vote. Thank you Stuart:)

[Daredevil_2003]

I can tell you I wont be voting this year, I dont like either on of these jokers, but if I had to, I'm surprisingly leaning towards Bush, not because I prefer him, it's just sometimes better to stick with the evil you know, right? I really dont know, to be honest, I'll make my final decision as to whether I'll be voting or not and for whom when the time comes, I'm not gonna worry about until then, just keep my eye on the news and such and see what happens. :shrug:

[Jedigreedo]

Offer pie for every vote. Who wouldn't vote for food? I would vote just to get food in return... See? Already working. :D

[sun]

I can tell you I wont be voting this year, I dont like either on of these jokers, but if I had to, I'm surprisingly leaning towards Bush, not because I prefer him, it's just sometimes better to stick with the evil you know, right? I really dont know, to be honest, I'll make my final decision as to whether I'll be voting or not and for whom when the time comes, I'm not gonna worry about until then, just keep my eye on the news and such and see what happens. :shrug:
Your view is ok, just be sure you are registered, and as you said, "keep your eye's on the news" then do what is best....Stuart

[I.R Joey]

Every major election year, television and radio stations nationwide run public service annoncements imploring people to vote. In the past, everyone from Steven Tyler to some disaffected twenty-something has told me to "rock the vote" or whatever. Sadly, these ads rarely work. What is needed is a new campaign; something that everyone can relate too. And what is this magical thing, you ask? Commercials for monster truck rallies. The voice-over guy probably works cheap too. I'm thinking it would sound something like this:




In the year 2000, there was an election for president of the United States of America... AND THE CARNAGE WAS LEGENDARY!

...And now it's back.

Haliburton and Heinz Foods proudly present: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2004!

Come see reining USA champion, the monster George W. Bush take on Senator John Kerry for the title of supreme ruler of the country!

Also appearing will be Ralph Nader in his socially responsible, eco-friendly, nitro-burning funny car! And kids of all ages will enjoy the wacky antics of the "Third Party Clowns" comedy troupe!

And make sure you stay for Quad Wars featuring "ol' unreliable" Dick Cheney taking on young upstart Senator John Edwards! He's the canidate your dead relatives want you to vote for!

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2004!

Vote twice for only $6!

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2004!

November 2nd, 2004 at your local polling place.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2004!

Tickets available at every major courthouse and DMV in the United States of America. Children under eightteen admitted free with parent. Gates open at seven in the morning.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 2004!

Don't you dare miss it!
Dude that so rocks, that may just be the funniest thing I've read this election year.

[Delthayre]

I'm uneasy at the prospect of making voting in any way mandatory. While I consider not voting a dereliction of civic duty, I cannot support the idea of enforcing something that should be a matter of choice.

The voter turnouts have been lousy and they need to be turned around, that is for certain.

I'm tempted by the idea of making election day a holiday. It could free some voters up and would at least create more enthusiasm for it. If election day were a festival affair I think it would drive up the poll numbers noticeably. And if there's any contention about an overabundance of holidays, we could just ditch Columbus Day, I've always thought it was stupid anyway.

I don't know how it might be implemented, but offering a tax credit to those who vote would certainly make people more interested in voting, it amounts to bribery, but sometimes that's all you can do to motivate people. However, this proposal raises a number of potential corruption issues that I'm just not sure about.

There should also be same-day voter registration, which could reduce the inconvenience attached to voting. I can't recall off-hand which one it is, but there is a state that tried this and has seen a rise in turnout as a result.

I also think there should be some heavy duty reforms to the electoral process (indeed, the whole government), but that's a topic warranting its own thread (and one I've been thinking about starting for a long time, I've even got a title "Reconstituting America", although I figured it'd break down into people screeching, 'radical," and, "reactionary," in pejorative senses).

It might also be a good idea to ditch or reform the presidential primaries process, a less compressed and hurried primary would make for a more fair battle that might reduce the number of lousy candidates we get in presidential races. Lord knows I was depressed when Kerry lynched the democratic nomination (a battle I think he might have lost if the primaries hadn't been designed to rush a candidate out of the door). If there's any reason I commit cardinal sins of hypocrisy and don't vote this fall, it'll be the sheer dissapointment and atipathy I feel toward John Kerry.

[randomguy]

Offer pie for every vote. Who wouldn't vote for food? I would vote just to get food in return... See? Already working. :D
Well, I mean... a lot of places have free cookies, kind of like a blood drive. That's a plus. Of course, cookies are in no way as awesome as pie, but it's a start.

[Catlover]

I'm not old enough to vote yet, but if I was, I wouldn't. Why?

1. I don't like any of the candidates. Thus, I consider my not voting as my way of saying that both parties should have chosen better candidates.

2. Jury duty. Oh yes, wonderful jury duty. If I don't agree with either candidate, why should I risk getting called up for that.

That's why.

[EinBebop]

2. Jury duty. Oh yes, wonderful jury duty. If I don't agree with either candidate, why should I risk getting called up for that.Here in CA they don't just use voter registration anymore; anyone with a California ID or driver's license is eligible to be called for jury duty.

[SSJPabs]

A few things.

In Soviet Russia, they used to hand our free Vodka at the voting places.

I'm not old enough to vote yet, but if I was, I wouldn't. Why?

1. I don't like any of the candidates. Thus, I consider my not voting as my way of saying that both parties should have chosen better candidates.

2. Jury duty. Oh yes, wonderful jury duty. If I don't agree with either candidate, why should I risk getting called up for that.1. That never works. Never has. You will never get any kind of point across by not voting. If you don't vote you don't exist to either party.

2. As was said, many places use more than voter registration.

EinBebop, if you're a data dog, why is your avater of a CAT? Perhaps a change in custom title is in order.

[loyalheart]

im not voting and don't intend to in the future unless i see someone i like. and these incetments or punishments for not voting wouldnt work on someone like me for various reasons.. but im not doing it out of protest either.

[shogunthethird]

people love to get deals so I say why not have an "if your candidate doesn't get elected you don't pay for 'im" rule, and it's only good if you actually get out and vote, makes sense in a sick sort of way, doesn't it? of course this will mean people will be voting against their candidates...but then again if their candidate doesn't win, they don't get pandered to once they're in....well it was just an idea

[Catlover]

1. That never works. Never has. You will never get any kind of point across by not voting. If you don't vote you don't exist to either party.
Hmm, I guess so. But when we have disscusions like this, asking how you can get more voters, one way to do that would be to give better candidates.

2. As was said, many places use more than voter registration.
Where I live (Georgia), they only select you if you vote. It's optional when you get an driver's license.

[EinBebop]

EinBebop, if you're a data dog, why is your avater of a CAT? Perhaps a change in custom title is in order.Good point. I just can't think of anything right now. :)

[SSJPabs]

Good point. I just can't think of anything right now.Hmm I need a new one myself. If you can think of anything that fits with dying Sonic, let me know. I'm tempted to suggest for you something like "Hobbesian" to pun on the picture and possible political/philosophical influences.

Hmm, I guess so. But when we have disscusions like this, asking how you can get more voters, one way to do that would be to give better candidates.Well for the Dems this year, candidates were chosen by primaries. You had NINE to choose from. Of course, the front-loaded primaries were a horrible idea strategically. The period of sucking all media attention ended in early march with Edwards' capitulation and had already begun to wane when my man Dean dropped out.

So you want better candidates, blame the voters in Iowa and New Hampshire. The 2004 primary campaign proved that even when someone raises a lot of money (Dean) or has extensive ties (Gephardt) the voters will still vote for whoever they think has the best chance to win (Kerry - who mortgaged his HOUSE to fund his campaign).

Of course, as is usually the case with an incumbent who can run again, Bush was the de facto nominee so the Republicans had no choice. Although it doesn't ALWAYS have to be that way (LBJ in '68 for example still LBJ decided that himself. I don't know of any time in the modern era where a sitting president was FORCED to step aside.)

[Aquadementia]

Where I vote they give out "I Voted" stickers you're suppose to wear to remind others to vote.

Maybe it should be more aggressive.
"I voted. If you didn't, I OWN YOU!"

[Westlander]

Well, in Poland when we had to vote over joining the EU, reminder text messages were sent to every cell phone user.

Anyway, can I get YOU to vote in my contest? Just go to my webpage and look in the "Contests" section. TANK you.

[SSJPabs]

Where I vote they give out "I Voted" stickers you're suppose to wear to remind others to vote.

Maybe it should be more aggressive.
"I voted. If you didn't, I OWN YOU!"Here's Puff Daddy's aggressive slogan:
VOTE OR DIE!

http://www.wonkette.com/images/subtle_like_puffy_himself.jpg
Image Courtesy Wonkette (www.wonkette.com)

[sun]

[QUOTE=loyalheart]im not voting and don't intend to in the future unless i see someone i like. and these incetments or punishments for not voting wouldnt work on someone like me for various reasons.. but im not doing it out of protest either.[/QUOTET

There is no qustion that you have that right...But this may be an election between the lesser of evils, not who we like...Please reconsider your position when it comes time to register and vote..You may change your mind, and then be able to vote if you desire..thank you Stuart

[SilverTanks]

Will i'm a Saying what Jhon Kerry's wents and how bad Bush Screwed us i would have to vote For............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Bush

Because gay marrige and F***ing tax jumps is gay sry my french