Author Topic: Voter turnout dipped 14 perentage points from 2004  (Read 1175 times)

Dos Equis

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Voter turnout dipped 14 perentage points from 2004
« on: November 08, 2006, 12:38:44 PM »
With all the "angry" voters, you'd think voter turnout would have increased.  Regardless, this is shameful. 

Voter turnout dipped 14 perentage points from 2004

Advertiser Staff

Voter turnout was about 14 percentage points down from 2004 in yesterday's general election, according to unvalidated results from the Office of Elections.
The statewide printout from 6 a.m. showed that 348,299 of 662,728 — 52.6 percent — of eligible voters went to the polls or voted absentee in the general election.

In the 2004 general election, when the presidential race was on the ballot, turnout was 431,638 statewide, or 66.7 of registered voters.

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Nov/08/br/br6470183529.html

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Re: Voter turnout dipped 14 perentage points from 2004
« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2006, 12:54:28 PM »
Compare 2006 with 2002.

Remember that Presidential years are comparable, and non-Presidential years are comparable.  it's apples and oranges.

Dos Equis

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Re: Voter turnout dipped 14 perentage points from 2004
« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2006, 01:00:04 PM »
My point in posting this story was to highlight the abysmal voter turnout in this country.  A 52.6 percent or even 66.7 percent turnout is terrible.  I am certain it's even lower on the mainland.     

Hedgehog

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Re: Voter turnout dipped 14 perentage points from 2004
« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2006, 01:30:28 PM »
I heard it was down in the 40's.

I think all countries should do like Belgium.

They have mandatory voting. If you don't vote, you're fined.

And thus, they have a 90%+ turnout.

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Zack
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Monster_Everything

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Re: Voter turnout dipped 14 perentage points from 2004
« Reply #4 on: November 08, 2006, 01:32:56 PM »
the republicans find new ways to fuck up voting booths in 'urban' areas ..... i wish you could vote for two to three days...
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Hugo Chavez

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Re: Voter turnout dipped 14 perentage points from 2004
« Reply #5 on: November 08, 2006, 01:34:16 PM »
I heard it was down in the 40's.

I think all countries should do like Belgium.

They have mandatory voting. If you don't vote, you're fined.

And thus, they have a 90%+ turnout.

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Zack


I agree, make it a national holiday.... mandatory vote...  Makes me sick that people give their lives for so many to walk around with a "I don't give a shit about anything but myself" attitude... Those people are only good for shit...  waste of space...

Dos Equis

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Re: Voter turnout dipped 14 perentage points from 2004
« Reply #6 on: November 08, 2006, 01:47:14 PM »
I heard it was down in the 40's.

I think all countries should do like Belgium.

They have mandatory voting. If you don't vote, you're fined.

And thus, they have a 90%+ turnout.

YIP
Zack


Seems a little harsh.  I guess voter apathy is one of the downsides of a democracy like ours. 

There is really no excuse.  If you don't like going through the process at the polls on election day, which I love, you can vote at "city hall" in most places before the election (called "early voting).  No lines at all.  You can vote by absentee ballot, which involves no travel and virtually no time constraints. 

I'll never forget the pictures of snake lines of thousands of people in South Africa when they had their first legitimate election.  Chicken skin. 

Hedgehog

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Re: Voter turnout dipped 14 perentage points from 2004
« Reply #7 on: November 08, 2006, 01:50:41 PM »
I agree, make it a national holiday.... mandatory vote...  Makes me sick that people give their lives for so many to walk around with a "I don't give a shit about anything but myself" attitude... Those people are only good for shit...  waste of space...

Nah.

Just have the election set on a Sunday.

Also, I believe that the election procedures should be identical throughout the nation. Why not use these two years and improve on the existing system, start to get all 50 states towards following the same protocol.

I'm sure it will take years to get there. But right now, the voting process in the US isn't up to par with what you should expect from a great democracy.

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Hedgehog

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Re: Voter turnout dipped 14 perentage points from 2004
« Reply #8 on: November 08, 2006, 01:57:51 PM »
Seems a little harsh.  I guess voter apathy is one of the downsides of a democracy like ours. 

There is really no excuse.  If you don't like going through the process at the polls on election day, which I love, you can vote at "city hall" in most places before the election (called "early voting).  No lines at all.  You can vote by absentee ballot, which involves no travel and virtually no time constraints. 

I'll never forget the pictures of snake lines of thousands of people in South Africa when they had their first legitimate election.  Chicken skin. 


I agree with you.

Somehow, we seem to not value our right to vote enough.

Some can probably be done by making sure democracy is being taught in schools, the constitution and all that.

There could probably be improvements making it easier for the voter, like early votings by mail (we have that here in Sweden). Getting rid of registration before the elections (I think that's been done, you can register and vote the same day, correct?), and other things.

But I also believe in the mandatory election system. I would want it here in Sweden. The argument against it here, we have slightly under 80% voting, is that people should have the choice to do whatever, to vote or not to vote.

My argument is that you can always vote blank.

Mandatory will never happen in either Sweden or USA. But it would helluva nice. ;D

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Zack
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Dos Equis

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Re: Voter turnout dipped 14 perentage points from 2004
« Reply #9 on: November 08, 2006, 03:40:47 PM »
I agree with you.

Somehow, we seem to not value our right to vote enough.

Some can probably be done by making sure democracy is being taught in schools, the constitution and all that.

There could probably be improvements making it easier for the voter, like early votings by mail (we have that here in Sweden). Getting rid of registration before the elections (I think that's been done, you can register and vote the same day, correct?), and other things.

But I also believe in the mandatory election system. I would want it here in Sweden. The argument against it here, we have slightly under 80% voting, is that people should have the choice to do whatever, to vote or not to vote.

My argument is that you can always vote blank.

Mandatory will never happen in either Sweden or USA. But it would helluva nice. ;D

YIP
Zack

It's a shame we even have to discuss it.  But we'll only accept so much help from Big Brother.  People fought seat belt laws, helmet laws, etc.  Forced voting would never fly, though I agree it would be nice if we had a 90 percent turnout.  Imagine how that would alter the political landscape.  We have races all over the country decided by a few thousand (or even hundreds) of voters. 

Hedgehog

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Re: Voter turnout dipped 14 perentage points from 2004
« Reply #10 on: November 08, 2006, 04:02:27 PM »
It's a shame we even have to discuss it.  But we'll only accept much help from Big Brother.  People fought seat belt laws, helmet laws, etc.  Forced voting would never fly, though I agree it would be nice if we had a 90 percent turnout.  Imagine how that would alter the political landscape.  We have races all over the country decided by a few thousand (or even hundreds) of voters. 

A lot of people speculate about who would be the winners.

Some people claim the Democrats. I don't think that is necessarily true.

I believe that the Republicans have great potential in making inroads into the black community, with them GENERALLY being more conservative on moral issues, and more religious.

If the Republicans can show that they offer a solution to raise the standard of the poorest people, they are more likely to attract people of other cultures, since those are traditionally more conservative on moral issues.

Regardless, the higher percentage of the population that votes, the higher the legitimacy of the elected body.

Ie, those who are representants, be it presidents, prime ministers, senators or congressmen, are actually considered by a big majority of the nation.

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Zack
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