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peaccenicked
9th February 2002, 11:53
http://www.govspot.com/features/youngvoterapathy.htm
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/polls/comme...,611962,00.html (http://politics.guardian.co.uk/polls/comment/0,11030,611962,00.html)
A quote:
"Why don't we vote? Our recent midterm national elections resulted in the lowest voter turnout since 1942. Barely 36 percent of our country's eligible voters exercised this political freedom and power, even with our President's survival and single-party domination of Congress in question. When it comes to voting, our kids see over and over again that we don't "walk the talk."

Was voter turnout low because it wasn't a presidential election year? Not really. Only 54 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots during the last four decades of presidential elections. Compare that embarrassing number to Italy's 90 percent, Germany's 80 percent, France and Canada's 76 percent, Britain's 75 percent and Japan's 71 percent. We rank 35th in voter turnout out of the world's prominent democracies."
More statistics popular vote greens, socialists
http://www.wikipedia.com/wiki/U.S._Green_Partyhttp://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/e01/partycand.htmhttp://www.poptel.org.uk/scgn/articles/9907/page67a.htm[/url]
Here is an optimistic overview.
http://www.newcriterion.com/archive/18/jun...un00/barzun.htm (http://www.newcriterion.com/archive/18/jun00/barzun.htm)





(Edited by peaccenicked at 9:29 pm on Feb. 10, 2002)

Supermodel
10th February 2002, 20:23
Of course, here in the US we had a disaster in the 2000 presidential election because of pathetic technology and methods driven separately by each state and county.

One of the solutions put forward was to hold elections on Sunday as many countries do. I think this is a great idea, because on Tuesdays (election day in US) it can be too hard to get to the polls and put in a full day at work, especially in the crowded cities.

I also think that voter apathy sends its own message. How often have you looked at the candidates and groaned for lack of a decent choice?

poncho
10th February 2002, 20:30
Canada cannot be counted because its not a true democracy!

peaccenicked
10th February 2002, 20:33
This is what I am saying to IP
If the choice is between mega rich sociopaths who wants to vote and call their country a 'democracy'.