Referendums (Not that one!)

I would certainly like a local referendum on the proposed local government reorganisation in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Nottingham City Council is a unitary authority and a basket case. Bankrupt and currently has government appointed commissioners running it. The city council are proposing to annex parts or all of the adjacent borough councils. The borough council where I live covers most (all?) of Ken Clarke's former constituency - and is conservative. It has managed to keep a balanced budget and has low council tax increase. Needless to say, the city council is labour. Neither Rushcliffe BC nor Notts CC are in favour of an expanded city council - and neither am I. A referendum on the choices, including the status quo, might be helpful - but like that other referendum we might end up with a result we don't like! Perhaps constitutional changes should require a majority of those eligible to vote - or mandatory voting.
 
EEPhil said:
mandatory voting
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That's not good. It's a democratic right not to vote.

What's needed is more (or any!) education in civics. I don't think Joe Public realise the connection between politics and economy, services, etc etc. It's lost the immediacy of a meeting of elders deciding what to club together to provide for the village and how to raise the money to pay for it.
 
Black Hole said:
That's not good. It's a democratic right not to vote.
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Agreed. But those who don't vote should have their abstention counted not ignored. I'm not sure a simple majority of those who voted (either in an election or a parliamentary vote) accurately reflects "the view of the British people" (I hate that expression!).
 
keithatrochdale said:
I too would like the ability to abstain, in local elections it would mean I have no confidence in any of them.
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You currently have the ability to abstain - you don't vote. Perhaps you mean that every ballot paper should have an option to record your no confidence. You've done your civic duty and voted - you just don't think any candidate is suitable. An interesting problem if "no confidence" wins.
 
EEPhil said:
You currently have the ability to abstain - you don't vote. Perhaps you mean that every ballot paper should have an option to record your no confidence. You've done your civic duty and voted - you just don't think any candidate is suitable. An interesting problem if "no confidence" wins.
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In Australia, where voting is compulsory, I understand that there is a high rejection of voting slips because people show their disdain for the candidates by spoiling their voting paper. Easiest way to do this is to select every candidate.
 
antipodean said:
In Australia, where voting is compulsory, I understand that there is a high rejection of voting slips because people show their disdain for the candidates by spoiling their voting paper. Easiest way to do this is to select every candidate.
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Likely an apocryphal story. I heard that someone drew a rude item in a box in an attempt to spoil the ballot. Because the item was contained within one box it was counted as a valid vote. Posting a ballot slip with no/all candidates selected would do the trick. I might be tempted to write something to the effect of "None of the above" on the paper. Rude words won't help - remember that although it is supposed to be a secret ballot the slip is linked to your name.
 
EEPhil said:
Likely an apocryphal story. I heard that someone drew a rude item in a box in an attempt to spoil the ballot. Because the item was contained within one box it was counted as a valid vote. Posting a ballot slip with no/all candidates selected would do the trick. I might be tempted to write something to the effect of "None of the above" on the paper. Rude words won't help - remember that although it is supposed to be a secret ballot the slip is linked to your name.
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Well, my boss when I was an apprentice had lived in Australia for a handful of years, and told me that they get a lot of spoiled papers.

Your story wouldn't work in Aus as they have proportional voting where you need to rank the candidates in your order of preference, so every box needs a number in it.
 
antipodean said:
proportional voting where you need to rank the candidates in your order of preference, so every box needs a number in it.
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I'm sure there has been a PR vote for something. Can't think what (MEPs?) I thought i was allowed to vote for only one candidate by putting "1" in a box and leaving the rest empty.
 
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