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Post by toryjim on Mar 23, 2012 11:34:13 GMT
Be interesting to see if the winning Tory candidate in WX is now asked to fight one of the new Borough wards that covers her division (Cheshunt South & Theobalds and Waltham Cross Wards). She is currently a Rosedale Borough Councillor but as this seat is being subsumed by she is earmarked to stand in Flamstead End. There is a bias, if not a rule, against twin tracking in that neck of the woods. Of course that doesn't mean it will apply in this instance! |
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Post by richardclemerson on Mar 23, 2012 13:25:33 GMT
Just saw the WX turnout was 22.88% - really not very good but to be expected I guess.
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Post by toryjim on Mar 23, 2012 13:39:15 GMT
Just saw the WX turnout was 22.88% - really not very good but to be expected I guess. Time for compulsory voting? Would be interesting to see how much waste cost there is in elections for unused ballot materials. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2012 14:08:07 GMT
Just saw the WX turnout was 22.88% - really not very good but to be expected I guess. Time for compulsory voting? Would be interesting to see how much waste cost there is in elections for unused ballot materials. it is democracy and if people do not want to vote then that is their right |
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Post by Pete Whitehead on Mar 23, 2012 14:16:38 GMT
The first time in a very long time I think that I find myself in agreement with ian
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Post by toryjim on Mar 23, 2012 14:21:51 GMT
I generally agree on the value of refusing to vote, but I think we need to be concerned about the fact that turnout is abysmal.
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Post by johnloony on Mar 24, 2012 3:09:11 GMT
Time for compulsory voting? Would be interesting to see how much waste cost there is in elections for unused ballot materials. You seem to be implying that the solution to "wasting" that amount of paper on ballot papers is to force a mass of apathetic ignorant people into shoving those papers into a box (thereby making them resentful as well as apathetic and ignorant) on pain of being fined or executed if they refuse, apparently in the hope that those people will make some sort of informed or meaningful choice in how or where they mark those bits of paper during that process, and that those papers will somehow not be "wasted" if the counting staff are employed for XXX extra hours in counting and processing those votes. I have a theory that the real reason why people advocate compulsory voting is that some psephologists and anoraks just can't cope with the psychological torment of realising that not everybody is as fanatically interested in politics and elections as we are. |
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Post by toryjim on Mar 24, 2012 9:47:25 GMT
Time for compulsory voting? Would be interesting to see how much waste cost there is in elections for unused ballot materials. You seem to be implying that the solution to "wasting" that amount of paper on ballot papers is to force a mass of apathetic ignorant people into shoving those papers into a box (thereby making them resentful as well as apathetic and ignorant) on pain of being fined or executed if they refuse, apparently in the hope that those people will make some sort of informed or meaningful choice in how or where they mark those bits of paper during that process, and that those papers will somehow not be "wasted" if the counting staff are employed for XXX extra hours in counting and processing those votes. I have a theory that the real reason why people advocate compulsory voting is that some psephologists and anoraks just can't cope with the psychological torment of realising that not everybody is as fanatically interested in politics and elections as we are. No the solution to waste is to print ballot papers on demand, shouldn't be too difficult in the modern era. I'm just concerned that abstentionism can lead to an argument for de-democratisation. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2012 11:41:24 GMT
You seem to be implying that the solution to "wasting" that amount of paper on ballot papers is to force a mass of apathetic ignorant people into shoving those papers into a box (thereby making them resentful as well as apathetic and ignorant) on pain of being fined or executed if they refuse, apparently in the hope that those people will make some sort of informed or meaningful choice in how or where they mark those bits of paper during that process, and that those papers will somehow not be "wasted" if the counting staff are employed for XXX extra hours in counting and processing those votes. I have a theory that the real reason why people advocate compulsory voting is that some psephologists and anoraks just can't cope with the psychological torment of realising that not everybody is as fanatically interested in politics and elections as we are. No the solution to waste is to print ballot papers on demand, shouldn't be too difficult in the modern era. I'm just concerned that abstentionism can lead to an argument for de-democratisation. well we have seen that partly with the way the new boundaries are drawn up. It is up to the parties to persuade people to vote and we all have to get better at that but what is the answer ? Spin, lies, uturns etc just simply put off people. |
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Post by Pete Whitehead on Mar 24, 2012 12:14:13 GMT
No the solution to waste is to print ballot papers on demand, shouldn't be too difficult in the modern era. I'm just concerned that abstentionism can lead to an argument for de-democratisation. well we have seen that partly with the way the new boundaries are drawn up. we have seen what?  |
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Pimpernal
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A left-wing agenda within a right-wing framework...
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Post by Pimpernal on Mar 24, 2012 13:22:28 GMT
well we have seen that partly with the way the new boundaries are drawn up. we have seen what? 'that' of course... |
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Post by erlend on Mar 25, 2012 21:31:54 GMT
Time for compulsory voting? Would be interesting to see how much waste cost there is in elections for unused ballot materials. it is democracy and if people do not want to vote then that is their right I agree with Ian! |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2012 22:11:50 GMT
I blogged some time ago about (and against!) compulsory voting. In broad terms I agree with Ian. It is the responsibility of those who wish to take office to persuade people to vote for them, not the responsibility of voters to go out and vote. Besides all that, there is little appetite in this country for ready acceptance of fines from the State for something people don't feel a part of - people moan about the licence fee and would light the pitchforks if threatened with a Ballot Paper Levy or whatever it'd be.
On a practical level, >90% turnouts would need either require a greater number of ballot papers than an authority could afford to have printed, or a postal voting system which would struggle to cope with, or potentially collapse beneath, the weight placed upon it.
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