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Fines if i don't vote?

I have registered to vote tomorrow, but i decided that i don't want to vote anymore. Would i be fined if don't vote at all?

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Reply 1
Avatar for mrfletch
mrfletch
1
No.
Reply 2
Avatar for Reue
Reue
20
Original post by ejc42
I have registered to vote tomorrow, but i decided that i don't want to vote anymore. Would i be fined if don't vote at all?


No, this isnt Australia.
Reply 3
Avatar for Flather
Flather
13
You should be, at least go and spoil your ballot to send a message rather than just appearing lazy
Personally I think it's kinda ungrateful/disrespectful to all those who fought so hard even died for you to have the vote today. I think if you have the vote you should use it, otherwise the results aren't a reflection of general opinion and that kinda breaks down the whole purpose of a democracy..just my opinion though. No one can make you vote :smile:


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Nah of course not. If there was I might actually be getting off my arse and doing it too, lol.
Original post by ejc42
I have registered to vote tomorrow, but i decided that i don't want to vote anymore. Would i be fined if don't vote at all?

Why?

You're vote could make a difference.
Original post by It's_Ailie
Personally I think it's kinda ungrateful/disrespectful to all those who fought so hard even died for you to have the vote today. I think if you have the vote you should use it, otherwise the results aren't a reflection of general opinion and that kinda breaks down the whole purpose of a democracy..just my opinion though. No one can make you vote :smile:


Posted from TSR Mobile


Voting for someone you dont like (which is all of em), or voting when you dont know who to vote for will have that affect also. I dont know what party has which policies etc so how would I know what my vote is counting for? All I do know is that they all feed everyone a load of BS in order to gain our votes. Voting for whatever next shower of schitt that will run this country is like trying to choose which disease I would most like to die of.
Original post by Laomedeia
Voting for someone you dont like (which is all of em), or voting when you dont know who to vote for will have that affect also. I dont know what party has which policies etc so how would I know what my vote is counting for? All I do know is that they all feed everyone a load of BS in order to gain our votes. Voting for whatever next shower of schitt that will run this country is like trying to choose which disease I would most like to die of.


Yup yup yup I agree - a lot of what we're told will never be delivered to the extent parties promise and it will often be the case that there's nobody that you feel are completely right. But that doesn't change the fact that in the past people died for you to have the right to choose. The same way people died for our country's and other people's freedom in ww1 and 2. We should respect that and make sure they didn't die in vain. We should take an interest in the way our country is run rather than complaining - you have no right to complain if you don't stand up and try to make a difference, be it by your own campaigning or simply voting. Please - if not for your own benefit but to make these people's sacrifices worthy.


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Original post by It's_Ailie
Yup yup yup I agree - a lot of what we're told will never be delivered to the extent parties promise and it will often be the case that there's nobody that you feel are completely right. But that doesn't change the fact that in the past people died for you to have the right to choose. The same way people died for our country's and other people's freedom in ww1 and 2. We should respect that and make sure they didn't die in vain. We should take an interest in the way our country is run rather than complaining - you have no right to complain if you don't stand up and try to make a difference, be it by your own campaigning or simply voting. Please - if not for your own benefit but to make these people's sacrifices worthy.


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You do have a point on the sacrificed lives bit. One party I will definitely NOT be voting is labour. Remember that thing they did where fuel tax went up every few months? They continued to do this oblivious to the opposition of the entire country. Plus Gordon Brown was like a cross breed between a gargoyle and an ugly thing.
If I do vote, I have no idea who for. Is there a webpage that has a rundown of what each party is supposed to stand for?
Original post by Laomedeia
You do have a point on the sacrificed lives bit. One party I will definitely NOT be voting is labour. Remember that thing they did where fuel tax went up every few months? They continued to do this oblivious to the opposition of the entire country. Plus Gordon Brown was like a cross breed between a gargoyle and an ugly thing.
If I do vote, I have no idea who for. Is there a webpage that has a rundown of what each party is supposed to stand for?


Well all parties publish their summed up policies online, but there are probably a few websites who offer comparisons between them in a more compact form as well. Just have a quick look around it shouldn't be too hard to find, just search uk parties overview or something and look at what we come up. Unless, y'know, it's something like SNPforworldleaders.com or we<3dave.co.uk or ukip4life, should probably steer clear if the website has a name like that 😄 suspect there could be a little bit of bias going on ☺️

But do what you like. If you're really against the whole voting system and you're way of taking a stance is by not voting them by all means go ahead. its in my opinion that doesn't do anyone any benefits, 1- passive protest like that won't change anything and 2- people fought for our right so I really feel everyone should respect it


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Laomedeia

X


Visit this website - it's basically a survey/quiz. start off by saying which things are most important to you. It will then give you a quick summary of each party's policies on each of those areas that you said were important to you and you say if you agree with the policy are not. No party names are revealed when you are shown the policies. It will then tell you which party you most agreed with or something. I haven't done the whole thing myself but started doing it and seems pretty good, I have heard good things about it. I'm going to do the full survey tomorrow, see what results I get.

Here's the link >>
https://voteforpolicies.org.uk






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(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 12
Avatar for 0le
0le
21
People fought for the right to vote, not for the compulsion to vote.
Spoilt ballots get counted and included in the results. If you don't want to vote for anyone standing then spoil your ballot. Not voting is just lazy and disrespectful. In some countries people would die to be able to vote. Literally.

If you don't vote you have no right to complain about politics or who's in power for the next 5 years.
Reply 14
Avatar for danh951
danh951
Original post by It's_Ailie
Personally I think it's kinda ungrateful/disrespectful to all those who fought so hard even died for you to have the vote today. I think if you have the vote you should use it, otherwise the results aren't a reflection of general opinion and that kinda breaks down the whole purpose of a democracy..just my opinion though. No one can make you vote :smile:


Posted from TSR Mobile


The whole point of democracy is to have the right to a choice to vote. Everyone who died in name of democracy died for the right to choose whether or not to vote. To shame people in any way for not voting would be undemocratic.
Reply 15
Avatar for danh951
danh951
Original post by Duncan2012
Spoilt ballots get counted and included in the results. If you don't want to vote for anyone standing then spoil your ballot. Not voting is just lazy and disrespectful. In some countries people would die to be able to vote. Literally.

If you don't vote you have no right to complain about politics or who's in power for the next 5 years.


Let's see.

- Democracy gives you the right to choose whether or not to vote. Choosing not to vote is not simply "lazy" or "disrespectful" just because you say so.
- Who is it disrespectful to? To you? To people in other countries that don't know me? I doubt they will be walking around offended that I did not choose to vote.
- The right to freedom of speech gives me the right to complain about politics if I so wish. You can't tell me or anyone else otherwise. If I don't agree with any of the parties, I have no reason to vote. I could spoil a ballot yes, but it makes as much of a difference in my eyes as not voting, so why bother?
Original post by danh951
Let's see.

- Democracy gives you the right to choose whether or not to vote. Choosing not to vote is not simply "lazy" or "disrespectful" just because you say so.
- Who is it disrespectful to? To you? To people in other countries that don't know me? I doubt they will be walking around offended that I did not choose to vote.
- The right to freedom of speech gives me the right to complain about politics if I so wish. You can't tell me or anyone else otherwise. If I don't agree with any of the parties, I have no reason to vote. I could spoil a ballot yes, but it makes as much of a difference in my eyes as not voting, so why bother?


It's lazy because you have the right to cast a vote and the ability to do so freely. The mechanism to vote for none of the candidates is present. You haven't presented a valid case for choosing not to exercise your right, therefore I call it lazy. Happy for you to try and persuade me otherwise.

It's disrespectful to every single person who has fought and stood up against dictators. I would think that's pretty well understood by everyone who's heard of Nazi Germany.

It's your opinion that spoiling a ballot makes no difference, but you're wrong. Those numbers get tallied up and reported like all results.

With postal voting you don't even need to go to a polling station, so I still can't see a reason not to call you lazy again.
Original post by Duncan2012
Spoilt ballots get counted and included in the results. If you don't want to vote for anyone standing then spoil your ballot. Not voting is just lazy and disrespectful. In some countries people would die to be able to vote. Literally.

If you don't vote you have no right to complain about politics or who's in power for the next 5 years.


This. Spoiling your ballot is better than not voting at all. They keep records of who turns out to vote (not who you vote for, just whether you turn up or not), and parties target policies at the groups who are most likely to vote for them. So if more young people bothered to go to the polling station, even if they scribble obscenities all over the paper rather than casting a vote, parties are more likely to create policies that are relevant and important for people of that age, rather than spending all their time targetting the 55+ group.
Reply 18
Avatar for A5ko
A5ko
3
I signed up for postal voting, instead I have to physically visit the polling station now.

So I won't be voting because I cannot be bothered :biggrin: It's my right.. woooo!
Reply 19
Avatar for bkeevin
bkeevin
7
Original post by Duncan2012
Spoilt ballots get counted and included in the results. If you don't want to vote for anyone standing then spoil your ballot. Not voting is just lazy and disrespectful. In some countries people would die to be able to vote. Literally.

If you don't vote you have no right to complain about politics or who's in power for the next 5 years.


What a nonsensical argument you are making there!!!

Politicians always sneer at voters who spoil their votes referring to them as dumbos after every election. So I am not sure it makes a difference.

It is more honest to abstain from voting if you disagree with the voting system, the politicians who are standing or have no interest in the process.

More people voting will only increase the legitimacy of the politician with the increased turnout which is far from what is desired by most citizens

So you actually believe that only the people who were naive enough to believe in and vote for our self serving, corrupt and/or incompetent politician can complain about them?
If anything it is the voters who should have no right to complain since they should logically bear some responsibilities for the people they freely elected.

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