What about having to have at least 5 GCSEs before you're deemed responsible enough to make any decision on how the country's run? That's a very low threshold.

If you've ever read The Dilbert Principle (or was it The Dilbert Future?) You'll see an excellent example of why intelligence has no link to democracy.

They're not interested in doing so and indeed it's not in their interest to do so. It doesn't matter to them if 19% or 99% of the population vote, as long as they get one more vote than the rest. Indeed, the more people vote the harder that is because single issue activists matter less. That's why we should have compulsory voting - because it would require politicians to try to persuade all of us, not just the the 'marginal voters' who in our present system actually decide who gets to govern.

I've always been in favour of compulsory voting with one caveat - if we have compulsory voting, we must also have 'none of the above' on every ballot paper.

Jon

You could always write none of the above to spoil your ballot.

I think I could live with that as a compromise, though compulsory voting makes me feel uneasy at best...

If there is compulsory voting then there should be a non of the above option. If we had AV and they still could not get 50% of the votes then they would not get elected. So if large numbers put none of the above then there should be no MP representing that area. Then in terms of constituent support then any party can open an surgery for constitiuents. This will mean that constituents will get support and parties can show what they can do.

Oh I agree, I just think you should at least be able to understand the question you're being asked.

Or scribble "[LIFTED] you, you lousy lying scumbag self serving politicians" all over it.

In theory, if voting is anonymous (as it's supposed to be) they couldn't do you for it. However I suspect that little tracking number on the ballot paper (at least there is on postal votes, no idea about normal ones) would probably come back to haunt you.

I'm not sure you could be sued for something you put on a ballot paper. Generally speaking, you can be sued if you say something which is defamatory about someone in public and I'd suggest that a ballot paper is just about the opposite of public in a secret ballot which is what our elections are actually supposed to be.

I can't actually see any politician wanting it to be proved in a court that a ballot slip can be traced back to an individual, even though anyone with a brain knows that it probably can be. If they think turnout is low now, wait until the next election after that happened....

Jon

N Ireland Poll Count: Hairdryers And Delays

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Politi ... 7465?f=rss