a) always, because it is my civic duty
b) always, because that is the law where i live
c) never, because that is the law where i live
d) never, because i am ideologically opposed to democracy
e) never, because all the candidates are asshats
f) always, because there is always a candidate that i can support
g) sometimes, because i can support a candidate if ____ but not ____
h) always, because all of the cool people vote
i) never, because none of the cool people vote
j) elections were yesterday? can i still vote?
k) sometimes, because sometimes i feel like voting, and other times i don’t
l) i’m not eligible to vote (yet), but will vote when/if i can
m) i’m not eligible to vote (yet), but even if i were, i wouldn’t
n) i vote for (your nationality here) idol
o) other (specify)
i’m pretty much a) but with a touch of g) manifesting itself by o) (spoiled ballot)
o) I only vote when politics reaches out and bites me in the (politically unaware) ass. For example, I voted for Reagan in 1980 because Jimmy Carter made me go to the post office and register for the draft.
o) Not because it is my civic duty, but because I feel a personal responsibility to be active rather than passive in choosing the course that my country (and hence my life) will take over the next few years.
o) I never vote for the same reason that I never play the lottery: the probability that my one single vote will actually decide an election is so miniscule that it would be absurd for me exert any effort whatsoever in hopes that it will.
But instead of being a ‘stupidity tax’ voting is more like a ‘stupidity time-waster.’
o) I always vote, even in the odd-year elections where only referendums and municipal offices are up for grabs. Not out of a sense of duty but because I want as much say as they’ll give me. (What they give me isn’t near enough but that’s a damn silly reason to brush aside the crumbs I’m offered).
o) I always vote (I once even broke the law to do so) because it does make a difference. The main problem in the US with politics is that not enough people vote because they believe the crap about “they’re all the same,” and “it makes no difference.” There is a big difference. And it ultimately childish to drop out because someone doesn’t match your position 110%.
If a few thousand voters in Florida got off their asses and voted for Gore, American wouldn’t be dying in Iraq right now.
IIRC voting is not compulsory in local government elections in SA, WA, and Tas.
b) Voting is compulsory in Australia, though if this were not the case I would still vote in all elections because
o) every vote counts.