How do we overcome voter apathy?

[jolinar of malkshor]

We need to do something about this problem. This election just goes to show that people do not take there voting rights seriously. I don't care that the PC's won. I am a PC member and wanted them to have a majority. I just wanted a message sent saying they need to review some of there policies and the way the run things. That obviously didn't happen. I think mainly because people were to friggen lazy to get off there a** and cast a vote.

How do we solve this?

Here are some of my suggestions.

1.) Voting needs to implement todays technology. Allowing people to vote online I think would greatly increase voter turnout because people are so darn busy now adays.

2.) Instead of one day of voting, make it a week thing including the weekend so families can go out together and vote. If we had fixed elections everyone would know exactly when voting week was. The schools could incorporate this into there educational program by having student volunteer at the polling stations as part of there schooling. This would get them involved and provide a base for them in the future.

3.) Maybe we need to provide financial insentives for people. If you vote you can get a $100 tax deduction for that year.

4.) Instead of only having the candidates name have one check off area for people who think there is no option so that can be reported properly in the media and statistically.

5.) A serious look at electoral reform so that 53% of the votes don't govern 80% of the seats.

These are just some suggestions and I understand that even though getting people out to vote doesn't create an informed voter, it atleast gets people thinking.

[RougeUnderoos]

Who cares?

[The Goon]

The only ways I can see the apathetic care about voting - either you have to make it the law (I believe it's like this in Australia), or things have to really hit the skids economically for people to stand up and take notice of what's going on around them.

I don't know if the first is viable, and I'd rather not have the second happen.

[rubecube]

I didn't vote yesterday because I had to work from 8 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

[Super-Rye]

Well when someone worth voting for steps to the plate I'll throw my vote in, and no sooner.

[jolinar of malkshor]

Originally Posted by rubecube

I didn't vote yesterday because I had to work from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Advanced polls?

[jammies]

Originally Posted by rubecube

I didn't vote yesterday because I had to work from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Isn't it the law that your employer HAS to give you 4 hours off to vote - not necessarily paid, but not at work?

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

Advanced polls?

Short notice.

[metallicat]

Since I turned 18, I had voted in every possible election, with the exception of the last two: the last civic election, and this provincial election. I don't have much excuse for not voting; yesterday I was just doing other things, although it wouldn't have been too hard to break free and go vote. I've said recently that we've had too many elections recently, but that isn't a good enough excuse. It only takes minutes to go and vote, yet I complain about having to do it as if it's my mom dragging me to Mass when I was a kid.

I don't know how to change it.

[FireFly]

I think we let it get so bad that no one votes and then we have a dictatorship. That way, we won't have to be bothered with the whole voting thing anymore.

[RougeUnderoos]

Sorry.

I like #2 the best. You can't really use the "I was too busy excuse" if you have a whole week to do it. Or even 3 days, or hell, have the election on a weekend.

#4 is a good idea but I don't think it would get any more people into the booth.

Tax breaks -- do they do that somewhere else? Sounds familiar. Problem with that though is that The League of Uninformed Voters would show up and vote for some random name on the list. Does that really help?

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by rubecube

I didn't vote yesterday because I had to work from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Really? By law a company has to give you 4 hours to vote.
Edit: DOH! you all beat me to it

As for voter apathy, I dont know. Have better candidates? Have closer races? More important issues?

I know that in Quebec voter turnout is high because having either a PQ government or a Liberal government can really change your daily life.
And when there was a referendum, the turnout was in the 90s because every vote counted and the consequences of the result was HUGE!

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by jammies

Isn't it the law that your employer HAS to give you 4 hours off to vote - not necessarily paid, but not at work?

Sure is, but what is filing with the HRDC actually going to accomplish?

[Poison]

Hookers and Blow?????

[Sainters7]

There must've been virtually no young people voting at my station yesterday(I'm 26 but am told I look 21. And the fact I was wearing my gym clothes - an A&F hoodie, green UofA sweatpants, ballcap and a ski jacket - only added to it I'm sure). When I walked up to get my name checked off and fill out my ballot, the guy at the table said dryly, "You must be the youth vote..."

[burn_baby_burn]

If one was not happy with the status quo, one would think that that would be motivation to vote and try to make a change. Things are good in Alberta right now. No it isn't perfect, but go to another province in Canada and see if they are as well off as Alberta is right now. If people are happy maybe they feel they don't need to vote. Things are good, why rock the boat.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally Posted by The Goon

The only ways I can see the apathetic care about voting - either you have to make it the law (I believe it's like this in Australia), or things have to really hit the skids economically for people to stand up and take notice of what's going on around them.

I don't know if the first is viable, and I'd rather not have the second happen.

Yep - its the law in Australia - vote or you get fined something like $250. They had advance voting booths setup at the airport when I was there for outbound citizens.

A candidate that captivates people that instills them with a 'I NEED to get this person into office" (to execute their vision) would go a long way to address apathy. Kennedy-esque dare I say.

[Thunderball]

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

Here are some of my suggestions.

1.) Voting needs to implement todays technology. Allowing people to vote online I think would greatly increase voter turnout because people are so darn busy now adays.

Good idea in theory, but there's the grim spectre of vote tampering. All of a sudden one vote for party x becomes 100.

2.) Instead of one day of voting, make it a week thing including the weekend so families can go out together and vote. If we had fixed elections everyone would know exactly when voting week was. The schools could incorporate this into there educational program by having student volunteer at the polling stations as part of there schooling. This would get them involved and provide a base for them in the future.

Well, there's already a full day, plus several advance voting days.

3.) Maybe we need to provide financial insentives for people. If you vote you can get a $100 tax deduction for that year.

Do we really need to spend $225 million for provincial elections and over $1.5 billion for federal elections? This becomes a rock or hardplace argument.

4.) Instead of only having the candidates name have one check off area for people who think there is no option so that can be reported properly in the media and statistically.

Waste of time electorally speaking. Okay, all the candidates suck... now what? Why not just stay home?

5.) A serious look at electoral reform so that 53% of the votes don't govern 80% of the seats.

This is the big one. I think Mixed Member Plurality is ideal for Alberta. 85 seat legislature, 43 FPTP (existing system) and 42 by PR. This way, everyone still has a constituent MLA, and every vote counts. The Alliance would have 2 seats, the Greens 1, the NDP 3 more, etc. People who feel their vote is worthless if they don't like the incumbent party/candidate still have a reason to vote... get enough popular vote for some of their MLAs and maybe force a minority that has to listen to them.

I should add that I don't think mandatory voting is helpful either. Sure, you'll have 99% turnout, but a huge amount of spoiled ballots if people still feel their vote doesn't count.

[jar_e]

An uneducated vote is worse than a no vote.

You can "force" people to vote all you want but I'm not sure if that's achieving much if they still don't care...

I think option 4 is good on so many levels however I'd be scared to see what happens if the "no candidate is applicable" selection became the majority vote in a riding...

[Traditional_Ale]

Find me someone worth voting for.