masukuma wrote:Surealligator wrote:
Note, less than 50% of voters turned out on Monday while during the referendum, some areas had 100% turn out. In 2007, some constituencies had 102 voter turn out. Can someone smell a rat here? When I will be the president, IIEC will have to answer for this. It is stealing the votes without any justification.
3. In the future, more than 50% voter turn out must be emphasized for posterity. On the other hand, if more than 50% of voters fail to vote, it should be taken to mean voters do not want either of the candidates and thus they should all be sent packing and a new lot put forward. That is what genuine democracy is all about.
You cannot have a minimum threshold of 50% this is just dreaming. why should it be taken to mean that voters do not want either? its a voter's responsibility as it is a right to vote. If the voter does not see any candidate that meets their minimum threshold - they should offer themselves for candidature not abstain. the only way to beat voter apathy is not to punish the people who chose to come forward to be elected but to punish the voters for abstaining (like it is the case in Australia). Voters must learn that it is their responsibility to elect people to lead this nation of ours.
Those who never dream never learn to live a wholesome life. Love is a dream, but those who die before they ever loved have wasted their existence, it better they were never born.
So, allows others to dream.
But on a serious note, here is something to think about.
REAL WORLD EVIDENCE OF COMPULSORY VOTING
There are many countries around the world that use compulsory voting, either in whole or in part. A list of them can be found by scanning the CIA World Factbook.
The exact nature of compulsory voting, where practised, differs around the world. A few examples are briefly investigated below:
Belgium
Compulsory voting has existed in Belgium since 1892. Entering a polling booth is mandatory, but marking a ballot paper is not. After the election, a list of all non-attendees is sent to the office of the public prosecutor.
Prosecutions are carried out where there is an absence of a decent excuse. Explanations such as a medically certified illness, being abroad or an 'act of God' are usually good enough reasons to escape without punishment.
Punishments work on an upward scale. A first offence receives a small fine, which can rise for repeat offenders. Continued non-attendance can result in the offender being barred from the electoral list for 10 years, making them ineligible for a nomination, distinction or promotion by a public authority.
Australia
Voting has been compulsory in Australia since 1924. Like Belgium, once at the polling station, there is no obligation to complete a ballot paper.
Also like Belgium, a good excuse circumnavigates a punishment.
The set fine for non-attendance is $A20 (under £10). About 5 per cent of non-voters pay this straight away, with almost everyone else providing a valid reason for not voting. A few people take their case to court, where, if they lose, the fine rises to $A50 plus costs. Refusal to pay this can result in community service or a couple of days in jail.
Brazil and Ecuador
In Brazil, voting is only compulsory if you're aged between 18 and 70 and literate. Voting for illiterates, 16 and 17 year olds and those over 70 is voluntary.
Similarly, in Ecuador, voting is compulsory except for those over 65 and illiterates, for whom it is optional.
PUNISHMENTS
Although in Greece, it is technically possible to go to prison for not voting, no one ever has and it is highly unlikely anyone ever will. Global punishments for non-attendance on election day tend to be rather benign.
Go overdrive in purchasing the goods when there's blood on the streets, expecially if the blood is your own