Quote Originally Posted by Geoff Parkstone View Post
Maybe, although an old work colleague of mine always said to vote you should have to pass an IQ test of sorts.

Although I suspect that was because he thought everyone who disagreed with him was thick.

I didnt know you and Swale used to work together

I don't feel it should be compulsory but feel we should do more to encourage a bigger turnout.

Would online voting increase turnout?

Im sure online voting is the shape of things to come, but there is a lot to be said for the "in person" approach, not least being that election fraud is much more likely with online voting and can be done on a mass basis. One half way decent hacker could get the Monster Raving Loony candidate elected in Islington North or Clacton with relative simplicity Im sure. Oh wait, they are already in....

Compulsory voting has its appeals but I suspect that would work better in a proportional representation based environment.

Same Grandad always said if you don't vote you have absolutely no right to complain or moan about those in government.

In a way thats true but how many constituencies are rotten? Despite above average swings in each of the last two elections, there are still many people effectively disenfranchised by the "vote for a pig if it has a blue/red rosette on" mentality. Even in the last elections with its huge pro labour swing there was still no point voting for them in my constituency.
Except I don't think everyone who disagrees with me is thick, but I do know that people who give an opinion and are unable to support that opinion with reasoning, actual evidence other than what they have read online or in some dubious media are definitely lacking cognitive ability.

But then its always been a mystery as to why the right have so often been able to convince the working class to vote for them, when history shows its not in their interests to do so.