Election Overhaul - does Canada need one?

[Barney Google]

Thoughts oh, Great Forum Gurus....?

Do you think Trudeau is heading in the right direction with this?

http://www.castanet.net/news/Canada/142 ... for-change

Grudges...kudos...? Let's hear em all!

[Smurf]

I believe he has some good ideas there. We'll have to see the whole package as I'm sure some might not be so good. for one I'm not sure how you can make voting compulsory and I don't think it would be a good idea. If someone does not want to vote would they make a good decision for themselves or the rest of Canada if they were forced to.

[jimmy4321]

I favour compulsory voting, you can always spoil the ballot if your so anti whatever, right?
Voting is something that if started young you tend to stick with it, become more informed etc.

My father hounded me to vote when I was younger, think I've missed one election since (provincial) in 30yrs even local

[Rwede]

I favour compulsory voting, you can always spoil the ballot if your so anti whatever, right?
Voting is something that if started young you tend to stick with it, become more informed etc.

My father hounded me to vote when I was younger, think I've missed one election since (provincial) in 30yrs even local

Spoiling a ballot is actually illegal.

Trudeau knows that the young leftists are too lazy to vote, so he wants to force them to the polls where they'll either choose him or Angry Tom. Don't be fooled - it's a purely self-serving measure, folks.

[jimmy4321]

Spoiling a ballot is actually illegal.

Trudeau knows that the young leftists are too lazy to vote, so he wants to force them to the polls where they'll either choose him or Angry Tom. Don't be fooled - it's a purely self-serving measure, folks.

As you know many ballots don't get counted every election by people determined to have their vote count because they in some way screwed it up. It's not exactly enforceable unless you sign it, maybe take a selfie and post it on Facebook.

Guess my point is if your gonna drag your *bleep* to the polls to vote you might as well inform yourself.

[jamapple]

*removed*

[Atomoa]

The party in power is trying to get less people to vote, and everyone else seems to want more people to vote.

Interesting times.

I wish I could apply and get hired for jobs this way. Instead of "running on my resume", I'll get laws passed that limit the amount of backchecking that can happen on my previous employment situations and also pass laws that limit the amount of HR personnel that can view my resume.

Might as well throw in a law that make it difficult for other job applicants to apply for the job I'm applying for.

[Rwede]

Sending an uninformed electorate to the polls on a compulsory basis is, in my view, far worse than the results achieved by a more informed electorate that is motivated to make a choice.

Mandatory = get out the jackboots, give up your freedoms. Will Trudeau send in the army to drag people to the polls?

Funny, weren't those from the left crying about losing their freedoms on other issues? But they're okay with mandatory voting?

The stench of hypocrisy knows no bounds when the wind blows from the left.

[jimmy4321]

In Australia a voter is only required to show up get their ballot, mark it however they wish, drop it in the box. That's all
What's that got to do with loss of freedoms?

[jamapple]

Look up just 1 post ago. Forcing, ( or taking away one's right to not vote), people to go to a poll and not know what the hell anyones platform is, is, well,a loss of freedom for us, the rest of the electorate who take, (not alot), of time to educate ourselves on who is who. Mandatory, whether in Australia or anywhere else, is not freedom.

[steven lloyd]

… I'm not sure how you can make voting compulsory and I don't think it would be a good idea. If someone does not want to vote would they make a good decision for themselves or the rest of Canada if they were forced to.

Yes, we’ve had some good discussions around this issue on these forums and some very good points have been raised about having people who are disinterested being forced to vote. On the other hand though, it is clear from reading some of the posts we see here that we currently have people basing their vote solely on outdated rhetoric, erroneous stereotypes and attack ads and putting no more thought into their partisan decisions than those who are currently too lazy to make a decision and get out to the polling station. Is that really any better? It will be an evolutionary process for sure but I think we really need to consider ways to get more people more involved in the political process instead of just leaving our country’s socioeconomic future up to right-wing/left-wing ideologues and corporate (even foreign corporate) and/or union interests. Is sending an uninformed electorate to the polls on a compulsory basis really going to be any worse than the results achieved by a terribly ill-informed and demonstrably gullible electorate that is motivated to make a choice exclusively on partisanship with no effort ever made at critical thought? Change may not be easy or even painless but simply continuing to accept the status quo is just defeatist.

[jamapple]

I do agree, but fundementally, forcing someone to vote opens a can to later force people to do other things they would rather not be involved in. You make great points, though. Engage people. Get them involved. All too many times, voter apathy is blamed on the simple fact that there isn't a truly worthy party or person to vote for. Some on here have even gone as far as to say they totally get not voting Liberal, but the other choices are just plain worse! That doesn't really engage people. Elections Canada and the Canadian government should be looking hard and fast at why this is, and see if steps can be taken to change that. In a perfect world, we'd have 100% voter turnout, but then again....we're in Canada.

[Atomoa]

You're forced to pay taxes, obey laws and all sorts of other hoop jumping...

But forcing you to vote... Oh no!

Ancient societies used to corral entire city populations to the town square with red stained ropes to get all residents to participate in votes that concern the entire population. If you had a red stain on your clothes you were fined, because you dragged *bleep* to voting and we're not doing your civic duty by participating in a democracy.

Our grandfather's cry and guys on Wall Street laugh when you obstain from participating in a democracy.

[Gone_Fishin]

Yes, let's go back to that! Turn Canada into an ancient society, because fiefdom was so grand. Bloody hypocrits, bitching at perceived loss of freedom when the government gets stronger with terrorists, but forcing people to do more and more things against their will is fine as long as it comes from a leftist jackass like JT. Seems to me that despite their claims, the left wants to see us all in uniforms working for the state.

[Atomoa]

Feifs couldn't vote. Only land owners.

Not much has changed has it? The political interests lay where the material assets are.