Voting

I have no patience with people who do not vote in elections.  It is pathetic that the most powerful democracy in the history of the world has one of, if not the poorest voter turnout election after election.  There are no excuses anymore.  Registration has been made simpler and more accessible.  Early voting weeks ahead of the actual election day is becoming the norm in most states.  The only excuses left are laziness and apathy.

There is a great new website called PayAttention.org that makes it real clear what happens when people don't vote.  For example, we might get a Side of Hashbrowns elected.  It's a clever site with a serious message.

Let's try to work on our voter turnout this year.  Spread the word.  Voting does make a difference.  If you don't vote, you cannot complain about the outcome. 

Comments

[Andrea Weckerle]

I heard a BBC story yesterday about an ordinary citizen who (wish I could remember which state he's from), tired of low voter turnout, is putting on the state ballot a proposal to have everyone who actually votes in elections become part of a $1 million lottery pool (perhaps a private one specifically created for this purpose, although I'm not sure). The reporter commented that this sounded like a bribe, but the individual responded, and I'm paraphrasing here, that he considered it an incentive that encourages civic duty. Interesting concept and hey, if that's what it takes... The story also explained that in Australia, apparently people are fined if they don't vote, an approach that wouldn't work here for constitutional reasons.