Incentives to vote...would it help?

[Echo2]

I have always felt that if one is going to reap the benefits of living in a free society that one should at a very minimum, take an hour and vote once a year. One hour a year for the benefit of living in a democracy is not asking much. Still a large portion of Americans are either too lazy, too stupid or just don’t care enough to get off their butts and vote.

Everyone gets an automatic standard deduction. ($4,750 for singles, 9,500 for married). How would you feel if we were required to vote in order to receive the standard deduction on our federal income tax? On the surface it sounds great. Maybe even get some of those lazy ass people off their butts. But then, people who care so little about their country and who are so self-centered that they don’t bother to vote are not exactly the type of people I want choosing who is going to run the country.

Is there an answer to the complacency that is permeating our society around voting? Do you think that religious organizations that require that their members NOT vote should still get all the tax deductible and tax free advantages as other churches?

[Book Wizard]

I was brought up to believe the same way you do, Echo. My grandfather often said that voting is a privilege, not a right, If you do not vote, you have no say in the government and you have no right to comment on the government. When I try to convince someone to register to vote and vote, I often get that the person believes their vote doesn't count and all government is corrupt so it doesn't matter anyway.

If we don't exercise the privilge of voting, we are going to end up in the theocracy or a dictatorship or worse at the rate things are going. Do you really want Dick Cheney running things for another 4 years? That is the strongest incentive to vote that I can think of.

[Slabobbin]

Yeah there is an answer :) Get some people in there who are actually worth voting for and that I agree with on the issues.

I feel like you are making some pretty harsh judgements/statements about a broad number of people that you actually know nothing about.

I don't vote, I never have and I don't plan to in this election. I am not ashamed of it nor am I "lazy" or "stupid".

[Taneli]

That would be a good idea. And better yet, let's make it as they have it in Belgium. You'll get fined if you don't vote... :)

[Slabobbin]

That would be a good idea. And better yet, let's make it as they have it in Belgium. You'll get fined if you don't vote... :)

IMO that goes directly against the whole theory of a "free country". You are essentially punishing people for not doing exactly as you (general) think they should.

[Mabel]

I was brought up to believe the same way you do, Echo. My grandfather often said that voting is a privilege, not a right, If you do not vote, you have no say in the government and you have no right to comment on the government. When I try to convince someone to register to vote and vote, I often get that the person believes their vote doesn't count and all government is corrupt so it doesn't matter anyway.

If we don't exercise the privilge of voting, we are going to end up in the theocracy or a dictatorship or worse at the rate things are going. Do you really want Dick Cheney running things for another 4 years? That is the strongest incentive to vote that I can think of.

I completely agree.

[kingclick]

I don't believe in any law to force people to vote. However I do believe in social impacting them.

I feel that we need more involvement of our citizens in the political process. And instead of becoming apathetic and letting everyone else do my job. I choose to do my darndest to vote for the best candidate for the job.

To not vote is voting for the status quo of politics as usual.
To not vote is admitting that I am unable to make decisions for myself or my country.
To not vote is telling my fellow countrymen that I don't care about them OR the direction this country goes.

[Echo2]

The tax deduction would be a REWARD for voting. Not voting would have no punishment, but it would have no reward either. The are not inclusive.

[kingclick]

It's already seen as a given, so taking it away would constitute punishment.

[Mabel]

To follow up my post, I do not think it is a good idea to offer incentives TO vote, or to punish those who DON'T vote. Frankly, if one is going to vote solely for the tax break, chances are they aren't going to research their decision at all, and just check off boxes (or whatever.). Those kind of votes we don't need.
And as for punishing - I'm with Slab in that it would sort of be hypocritical to punish those who DON'T vote.
However I think that kids in high school should be educated, and taught to appreciate and respect the voting process, and hopefully that will push them into the world as voting adults.

[Echo2]

That is probubly how it would be percieved. And as I said, people who are too stupid to vote in the first place are not going to be casting any educated votes anyway. Just making a mark anywhere on the paper so they can get their deduction is not what I consider an informed vote.

I just don't get the mindset of people who don't vote. Complacency is no excuse. I doubt seriously that my vote makes a difference either. I know how the electorial college works. Recently we have had election board members changeing how they count votes to the point were we had to have an appointment instead of an actual count in the last election. Now voting machines are being proposed but certain individuals don't want the machines to have paper trails (like bank machines do). It would be easy to get complacent, especially after seeing how the last election was handled. But voting is such a tiny minute amount of time out of ones life. One hour a year.

You have to be one lazy ass son of an anteater to be too lazy to spend an hour a year doing something that honors those who have died for the right to vote.

[Clio]

Well, I think after the last presidential election, the next one is going to have a much bigger turn out.

[kingclick]

You have to be one lazy ass son of an anteater to be too lazy to spend an hour a year doing something that honors those who have died for the right to vote.
I agree with the sentiment. But really, it's NOT just an hour a year. Actually educating yourself on the issues and the politicians is much more than an hour of time. There is a TON of rhetoric to wade through as well.

I don't want "lazy" voters. Vote, but please be an educated voter when you vote. I would rather you not vote at all than not know who you are putting into office or what you are putting into law.

[OnederWoman]

I don't want "lazy" voters. Vote, but please be an educated voter when you vote. I would rather you not vote at all than not know who you are putting into office or what you are putting into law. ITA. It drives me nuts that people choose not to vote, for whatever reason. However, I would rather have someone not vote, then choose a candidate/issue at random.

IMO, if you don't vote, you have no valid complaint.

Sorry Robyn, I know you have your reasons for not voting, and I don't think you are uneducated, I just disagree with your choice.

[Slabobbin]

Sorry Robyn, I know you have your reasons for not voting, and I don't think you are uneducated, I just disagree with your choice.

And that's fine, that doesn't bother me in the least. I respect your right to disagree with me. :) But I doubt I'll be participating in this thread. As usual Echo is taking it to the extreme and she is slinging insults left and right. It is baiting. I've already explained that people who don't vote aren't necessarly "stupid", "lazy" or "uneducated" yet she continues. So I'll bow out. As a mod I will try to be above that.

[kingclick]

By uneducated, I mean, not informed of the issues and the players in the election. I didn't intend to imply....unschooled and some sort of high school drop out.

I could care less if a person was a elementary school drop out and still wanted to vote! Just as long as they educate themselves on the issues and the candidates!

[Echo2]

And that's fine, that doesn't bother me in the least. I respect your right to disagree with me. :) But I doubt I'll be participating in this thread. As usual Echo is taking it to the extreme and she is slinging insults left and right. It is baiting. I've already explained that people who don't vote aren't necessarly "stupid", "lazy" or "uneducated" yet she continues. So I'll bow out. As a mod I will try to be above that.

Thank you for the kind words. You are as good at baiting as anyone on this board. (See all the co sleeping strings). I do not have exclusive rights to it.

I stand by my statement about people who don't vote. They can wrap it up in religious doctrine or anything else they want, but these people are enjoying the priveledges of a democracy. I believe in personal reasponsibility and therefore I feel that everyone who enjoys our democracy has a duty to insure it's existance by voting.

Calling people who don't vote lazy or uneducated comes from the belief that they are either not educated about the importance of voting, or they understand it but are too busy to bother. I say this because if they were educated about the importance of it they would do it. And if they aren't educated about the importance of it then they are unedcated about it.

The word stupid was a bit harsh and I will withdraw it.