Did you?
No line. No waiting. Voting was a breeze this morning. Voted on all the constitutional amendments, the retention of judges, and of course, the candidates for state and federal office.
Ever since I finally became a citizen in 1983 I have voted in every election. I am proud to have voted for Ronald Reagan, the greatest president of my lifetime (so far). I am not so proud of other votes I have cast. Nevertheless, I feel it is the right — and the duty* — of every American citizen to vote. We live in a very special country, a country where the right to cast a ballot to change how you are governed has been the rule for 230 years. Don’t waste your day today.
Vote!
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* “So long as the people do not care to exercise their freedom, those who wish to tyrannize will do so; for tyrants are active and ardent, and will devote themselves in the name of any number of gods, religious and otherwise, to put shackles upon sleeping men.” –Voltaire (H/T Lou)
you know in brasil its REQUIRED to vote? election days are sunday, and most everything shuts down.. no alcohol can be sold till after polls close.. if you dont, you run the risk of losing alot benefits.. it becomes a bitch to open bank accounts, even get a job.. you run the risk of losing the equivalent of social security, tickytacky shit like that..
As much as I hate to say this, I strongly disagree with passing a law mandating a vote. Every citizen has a right to not vote — and that right is as precious as the right to vote. Besides, it smells of some fascisto-socialist (read: Democrat) political social engineering maneuver.
I agree George, for exmaple I know that Jehova’s witnesses do not vote at all. It is something they believe. I don’t agree with it but it is their right.
Besides, presidents and candidates need a certain amount of the total voter population in order to be elected. So if the candidates are really bad, like let’s say you have Chavez and Ortega running, it is our right as citizens to not vote in protest, so in that case, none would be elected.
I love the US system 🙂
Agreed, George.
I think we’d be better served by having some kind of incentive to vote, such as a $100 tax credit or something like that.
But good republican (small r) that I am, I’m not too convinced that having a 100% turn-out is realistic or desirable. You know, democracy, the tyranny of the majority and all that. Yeah, call me elitist, I don’t care.
For clarification, usually when it is required by law to vote, it is required from REGISTERED voters only. If you don’t register to vote, then you are not required.
In Puerto Rico, even though not required, we do have “dry law” that means no alcohol can be sold from midnight to midnight of the Election Day.
I voted today. I always vote. It is more than a right or a duty; for me it is a privilege and an honor to be able to vote and participate in my government.
In the eternal wisdom of Rush (the band):
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.
I like a voluntary voting system and I like having to go to the polls to do it. I’d never be for any sort of internet or home based voting.
I don’t think it’s such a good idea to make everyone vote.
I don’t believe there sould be any incentive either.
It’s your civic duty, but you should be able to do as you please.
What if we made every knuckle head vote? I think it would be terrible. There would be more attempts at manipulation and deceiving ads.
As it is now, I had to do my homework in order to vote for some of these judges whom I had never heard of.
I like the way election info was sent out in California (I don’t know if they still do it), they would send out all the amendments and a pro argument, a con argument, and the potential costs to tax payers. It was much easier to get all the pertinent info on each proposal.
I love voting too, but I (like mavi) think that if every uninformed “knucklehead” was voting we would have a serious problem. So I’ve been doing my homework so that when I vote I know what I’m doing.
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” ~ Edmund Burke
Voted!! I’m proud to say that since I turned 18, I have always exercised my freedom to vote, … But it should always remain as a basic right to vote … when imposed it no longer implies freedom … We should vote because it’s our civic duty and responsibility as free citizens to do so!
🙂 Melek
“The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize you control your own destiny.” ~ Unknown
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“Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.”~ JQA
Mavi, they still send out the booklets here in California, and it is a good thing. I don’t have a problem with early voting (I voted last week), or absentee but I’m with Conductor, I’m not in favor of internet voting and also it should be strickly voluntary, sitting out an election can be a form of dissent, think Venezuela. On an aside, the idea of having castroite Jerry Brown as CA. Attorney General makes me crazy.