From watching other countries’ elections, especially where it is voluntary, the system of compulsory voting seems to lessen the influence of fringe groups on election outcomes.

Even with compulsory voting, I’m still involved in other forms of political action – working on campaigns that I care about, engaging in protest, etc.

And..uh..my father was one of those people who voted for McDonnell (although not Cucinelli, I think). We don’t talk about it. Well, not anymore. The first few conversations didn’t go well.

I vote in any and every election because, I too, believe it is necessary to do so out of respect for the women who protested, and advocated, and went to jail to procure my right to do so. I don’t take it for granted, so I exercise the opportunity.

Now, I vote religiously, even though the selection is frankly heartbreaking. (Seriously, do any of these candidates actually care about people?!) I do spend a lot of time on the internet trying to evaluate which candidate is the lesser of two evils. ;_;

You know, I’m usually not a conspiracy theorist, but the older I get the more I’m sure that the reason why voting isn’t compulsory or strictly popular (and why it’s still on a damned Tuesday) is simple–lower voting turnout in a parliamentary format is a hell of a lot easier for politicians to manipulate and control.

Think about it: originally only white, landowning males over the age of 21 could vote. Why? That was the demographic the Founding Fathers trusted to “make an informed decision”–in other words, they consolidated power in the hands of those just like themselves with the hopes that they would all vote more or less the same way. Now, everyone can vote, but if a majority of the population is indifferent, at work, or hopelessly confused by rhetoric…well then, that’s fewer people that will vote for the other guy. More time to concentrate on brainwashing specific segments of the population in those prime swing states! >_<

Judith’s first paragraph is typical firebagger bullshit I read over and over about how both parties are “the same,” mainly based on the fact that legisltion doesn’t move and Barack Obama didn’t wave a wand and make everything okay. Sure, insert something about the alleged meeting between him and the insurance industry that sealed the death warrant of the public option, or drone atacks, or free trade agreements. But the main culprit behind the death of liberal legislation is the filibuster.

Yeah yeah, LBJ and FDR. They had larger senate majorities and LBJ even had some cross-party support. Now the parties have shaken out ideologically (the GOP, anyway), and the cloture rules that Robert Byrd instituted AFTER Medicare/Medicaid allow for the “polite filiuster” that allows people to break quorum without invoking cloture and requires huge waiting periods between cloture votes.

The system’s fucked due to ridiculous extra-constitutional rules, and the “populous” isn’t educated enough to demand it be changed. Sen. Udall tried, but it was squished.

I’m lucky enough to live in an NPD stronghold. Long live Pat Martin’s riding, lol.

@Avogadro: My mother lives in Seattle, and is able to vote by mail and it seems like the best system ever. I wish we did it in NY. I’d be curious to know if voter turnout is higher in states where you can vote by mail. It’s a hell of a lot easier than going to the polls, especially if you work long hours, are disabled, elderly or have to drive long distances to get to polling places.