Rock the vote...?

Wertz

God just f*ck off would ya? If people don't want to either be bothered or know why it is they should vote, then why bother trying to coax them into it by pretending it's some sort of cool thing to do or try to associate it with celebrities and musicians?

Don't know why, how or who you should vote for? Good. You'll learn that lesson next time round when you discover your views aren't represented in the then present government.
Voting is not cool or trendy, it's not something that should be artificially induced in the demographic group that can't be arsed to exercise that right....if they haven't copped on why it is they should be getting out there and voting by the age of 18 then to be frank, society probably doesn't need their input into the electoral system just at the moment.

Didn't the yanks start this? Typical. The blind leading the blind.

Voting is a right and a privilege. You're an idiot if you don't get out there and X your chosen box. But you're certainly not the most awesome guy/gal in town if you do go out and post your ballot paper, so don't let any bunch of media darling f*cktards try and convince you otherwise by waving lifestyle icons in your face or making you feel inadequate for not actually caring what grey haired old man will eventually get to run the country.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

shake them titties when you vote bitch...

Sam Vimes

in australia you get fined if you don't vote

Blush_01

Wertz wrote:

Voting is a right and a privilege.

AND a responsibility, remember. I think (although it is bloody annoying) if the Rock the Vote campaign encourages even a slight increase in voter turnout it will have been a success. If people start to vote in the first election after they become eligible, I'd imagine they're more likely to vote in subsequent elections. This is my first General Election, likewise it's the first election my brother and sister can vote in. While my brother was registered, my sister only turned 18 in December and had to join the supplementary register, which she wouldn't have done unless I pointed out that she wasn't automatically registered. I couldn't care less who they vote for, as that's for them to choose, nor does it bother me if they choose to spoil their votes (which, given the calibre of the candidates in our area, might not be the worst idea they ever had), but they'll sure as hell be going to that polling booth and saying something. You have no right to complain about the state of the nation if you are eligible to make your voice heard and don't bother.

So you can b!tch and moan about the Rock the Vote campaign, but at least it's doing something about the abysmal level of interest taken by people in how things are being run, apart from becoming keyboard warriors when policies they don't agree with are introduced.

Should this thread even be here? It's politics related, and isn't there a ban on political threads outside of the one stickied at the top of page 1 in AH?

Nevyn

Wertz wrote:

Voting is a right and a privilege. You're an idiot if you don't get out there and X your chosen box.

Yeah you would be an idiot to do that esp as this is an election and putting X on the ballot paper will spoil the vote.
In elections you vote your preference and put the numbers in the box oppsite the people you want to repasent you in order 1 down to as far as your preference goes.

Seats have been awarded on 4th preferences to it can pay to fill in as many as you can.


Voting is not taught in this country.
It should be part of civics class, along with how the goverment runs and the different branches of it.

Rock the vote is aimed at the generation of 18 to 25 who have not bothered to vote to make them see that thier vote can make a differnce and tbh fair play to them for doing it and to those that took the time to do a vid or a sound bite to encourage them.

Nehpets

ha, I thought this would be about counter strike

Anyway, I'm 18 a week too late. I'd be voting otherwise!

Winters

I'm voting for Bosco and his Bosco Nationalist Party.

monkeyfudge

Mordeth wrote:

shake them titties when you vote bitch...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXc7_7DAoIk

Caliden

vote or die bitch

shane86

Mordeth wrote:

shake them titties when you vote bitch...

Heh heh, love that episode

If I remember right plenty of the American campaigners didnt actually vote themselves. Paris Hilton didnt bother, and I think 50 Cent found out he was disbarred for past offences

The last day to register was midweek during one of the champions league semis I think. The government knew full well young people wouldnt vote them in seeing as our generation will never buy a house, and therefore put the last day on a night when they knew probably a majority of young men would be busy. Its worse and more underhand than the Bush Florida robbery in 2000

jellie

what i dont get is: if there is such a big push to get young people to vote, why did they put the elections smack bang in the middle of a lot of college exams? a large percentage of 18-25year olds are in college, but if youve to choose between voting and sitting a final exam, youre hardly gonna be hopping on the next bus home to vote.

Nevyn

Rock the vote is not sponsoured by the government.

The current government don't want the under 30s turning up in droves to
vote or students to vote ergo the pain in the ass day they have called the election for. Heavens forbid that the newly politcised students turn out to vote.

Most other european countries have thier polling days on Saturday or Sunday.

jellie

Thaedydal wrote:

Rock the vote is not sponsoured by the government.

The current government don't want the under 30s turning up in droves to
vote or students to vote ergo the pain in the ass day they have called the election for. Heavens forbid that the newly politcised students turn out to vote.

Most other european countries have thier polling days on Saturday or Sunday.

ah ok, for some reason i thought it was all linked together. i havent been paying much attention to these things, just thought the dates were fairly ridiculous.

anyhow, back to the cramming..

Jesus Wept

Commander Vimes wrote:

in australia you get fined if you don't vote

Yes, $5000 aud I think?

Can't believe Australia would be so stupid, people have a right to not cast a vote.

Blush_01

Probably because Bertie's a lot smarter than he looks and sounds, and knows that the majority of college students (who could sway things far, far away from FF's favour) wouldn't vote for him/his party. The postal vote option was an option many people didn't know about or consider. It's also a lot of hassle if you have an exam or two that day.

I don't have exams, so I've taken time off work to go home and vote (missed the postal vote closing date).

Edit: Damn Thaedydal got there before me!:D

Nevyn

The-Rigger wrote:

Yes, $5000 aud I think?

Can't believe Australia would be so stupid, people have a right to not cast a vote.

You can vote and spoil your vote if you wish to express yourself.

The same way that dustin did well in that presidental election.

Ste.phen

shane86 wrote:

The last day to register was midweek during one of the champions league semis I think. The government knew full well young people wouldnt vote them in seeing as our generation will never buy a house, and therefore put the last day on a night when they knew probably a majority of young men would be busy. Its worse and more underhand than the Bush Florida robbery in 2000

I presume you're being sarcastic, at least I hope so :P

if only there were some other day before the last day that people could register to vote.
Perhaps, if there were hundreds of days before the last day that people could register to vote...

gandalf

Went to the Rock the Vote concert in the Green there a couple of weekends ago and the turnout was dire, hope its not a sign for the over all campaign.

(ps Vote or Die is better in German)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV35SiSWp5w

brianthebard

Thaedydal wrote:

Voting is not taught in this country.
It should be part of civics class, along with how the goverment runs and the different branches of it.

Since when? It was taught to me in civics, back in the day. Besides if people aren't interested in voting you aren't going to be able to artificially induce a sense of responsibility in them by having a load of pop stars tell them that its cool. It certainly won't be informing them about what voting is for the right reasons, more because XY or Z told them to.

Crazy Christ

even that irritating guy from Dan and Becks couldn't stop me from voting

Catari Jaguar

I personally love how the young voters are targetted by this and election day is held in the middle of exams. Smart choice there. Bertie is a sly cnut.

Wertz

Thaedydal wrote:

Yeah you would be an idiot to do that esp as this is an election and putting X on the ballot paper will spoil the vote.

You know what I meant, it's a turn of phrase. No need for pedantry.


[edit] like brianthebard I too was taught the basics of voting and the electoral system in 1st or 2nd yr civics way back when. Perhaps the curriculum has fallen by the wayside....or probably more accurately, the class has been usurped by something "more important"....you know, like teaching kids sh*t they won't ever need to know but that'll help them pass an exam and become another nice little slave to the economy.

Nevyn

It wasn't for pedantry that I replied there might be someone who may read your post and get confused.
Guide to voting.

Gandalf ah hear now bosco came out of retirement for one of those clips.

patrickolee

gandalf wrote:

Went to the Rock the Vote concert in the Green there a couple of weekends ago and the turnout was dire, hope its not a sign for the over all campaign.

(ps Vote or Die is better in German)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV35SiSWp5w

Yep the german one is better! .... I didn't know Sinn Fein had black members. Ah diversity.

Wertz

Thaedydal wrote:

It wasn't for pedantry that I replied there might be someone who may read your post and get confused.
Guide to voting.

Gandalf ah hear now bosco came out of retirement for one of those clips.

Ah okay fair enough. There seemed to be a lot of confusion with the changes made in Scotland last month leading to lots of spoiled votes. PR is a complex system, especially when moving from the single vote.


Oh and to whoever pointed out about political threads in AH, I don't consider this a thread about politics at all. No parties have been mentioned, no-one is trying to curry favour for one or other party. It's a discussion of a public awareness campaign. All this of course is at the discretion of the moderators, so I stand to be corrected.

ChRoMe

People have the right not to vote. I think its sad really that so much work was done to enable Irish people to have a vote and then people decide not to use it.

However if you decide not to vote to lose your right to complain about the government.

And who would want to deprive themselves of a popular national past-time.

faceman

ChRoMe wrote:

People have the right not to vote. I think its sad really that so much work was done to enable Irish people to have a vote and then people decide not to use it.

However if you decide not to vote to lose your right to complain about the government.

agree 100%

Blush_01

Wertz wrote:

Ah okay fair enough. There seemed to be a lot of confusion with the changes made in Scotland last month leading to lots of spoiled votes. PR is a complex system, especially when moving from the single vote.


Oh and to whoever pointed out about political threads in AH, I don't consider this a thread about politics at all. No parties have been mentioned, no-one is trying to curry favour for one or other party. It's a discussion of a public awareness campaign. All this of course is at the discretion of the moderators, so I stand to be corrected.

I for one mentioned a political party in my post (and it was me you were referring to, by the way). Bertie's name has popped up a fair bit too. And as it's about voting, essentially - the general response has been a discussion of voting, rather than the supporters of the Rock the Vote campaign - yes, it is fcuking political (to quote Skunk Anansie).