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The following article was posted on insidecostarica.com today. I am wondering what people on this forum think about the issue. To me, the fact that 40% of Costa Ricans did not cast their vote in the CAFTA referendum signifies to some extent dissatisfaction with their political representatives (as the article points out, the absentee rate was even higher in the presidential and municipal elections) implying that they may feel powerless to select (from the few options available) political leadership that would genuinely represent their believes, values, convictions and aspirations. I was just wondering what this forum has to say about the topic.
Jan
Legislator Proposes Fine For Not Voting in Elections
Costa Ricans not voting in the country’ elections can cost them if a proposal by legislative deputy, José Manuel Echandi, of the Partido Unión Nacional (PUN), is accepted and the Código Electoral amended.
Echandi, a former Ombudsman, proposes to fine citizens who do not vote in presidential, municipal elections and referendums, equivalent to two days pay. The fine would be applied by the Registro Civil (civil registry) when a person requests a new cedula.
The fine will depend on the job or profession of the individual. In the case the non-voter is unemployed, the fine will be established in accordance with the lowest paid salary on the Ministerio de Trabajo (labour ministry) pay scale.
The Echandi proposal will only excuse those citizens who can prove that they were out of the country or hospitalized, at the time of the vote.
All others are expected to cast their vote or be fined, according to Echandi, who said that the fine has been used successfully in other countries, like Argentina, Boliva and Chile, reducing the absentee rate.
In the October 7 referendum vote, some 40% of the voters did not bother to case a vote. The number has been much higher during the past presidential and municipal elections.
The legislator says the the Constitución Política (political constitution) obligates citizens to vote and not doing so harms the democratic process.
Asked if the same constitution gives the right to abstain from voting, Echandi said that it would be preferred if people got out to vote, even if the vote in nil.
“If the voter doesn’t like anu of the alternatives they should get to vote and vote nil, giving the political parties the hit and not democracy”, said Echandi.
I think democracy takes a hit if you are forced to vote. While it is a constitutional duty, and democracy may suffer if you don’t, how democratic is it to fine you for not voting?
More people would vote however, if there was a “none of the above” line in every election or referendum. This includes other countries as well as Costa Rica.
At least there is some official concern for getting out the vote. In the U.S., the republican party discourages voter turn out and actively works to throw out many votes. In fact, the whole system discourages voting by making the vote day a tuesday and not making that day a national holiday. We make holidays here at the drop of a hat for other silly reasons but make no effort to turn our voting day into a holiday.
Is voting day in CR a national holiday?
To believe that forcing people to exercise their right (duty) to vote is a good idea assumes that said people will first educate themselves with regards to that on which they’re voting.
I think all voting is done on Sunday in CR. A thought that was also suggested by many for voting in the US, and one that I support. Many more would then participate. As far as educating the electorate, that’s another story. People can’t be force fed information on something they may not be interested in learning in the first place. A willingness and desire has to be instilled in order to be a part of the process that governs a nation. For that to happen, everyone has to feel they are included in the process, and will receive representation by their government once the officials are installed.
Just the act of having to make a line and vote may infuse an increase in interest in the issues at hand. Who knows? It sure couldn’t hurt.
I always find the fiesta atmosphere of most voting days in CR an amazing sight and I wish my town embraced voting as much as they do. Although I think most of us, in this forum, probably choose to vote in our respective countries, not voting can be much more than just a sign of apathy, it’s also a clear political expression. I think someone mentioned this before and I agree, if the Oct. 7 vote would have had an option that stated: Would you like the CAFTA agreement to be better clarified before you make a final national decision? Most would have voted for that option. Confusing legislature/contracts are always problematic, and it’s only natural that people that have a duty to make them enforceable (or not) request they be crystal clear before they put their names and lives on the line for them…Although many voted still uncertain of what it may all come to mean, many did not vote because they frankly couldn’t understand much of it and refused to backup a document they (and many educated experts) seemed to have difficulty following. Can you imagine being in a country where you don’t speak the language and facing a life altering decision, body language can only take you so far–I think it would be pretty scary. Language helps us navigate our internal and external world so who should be punished or fined for creating a document that most couldn’t understand in English nor in Spanish? And how does this now becomes a Tico/a civic problem and not an issue of where it came from and why the document originated in such a form?
that being said, sprite, where i live in sonoma county ,california virtually EVERYBODY receives an application for absentee voting so lack of a voting holiday is seemingly irrelevant. also, the time-tested institution of slavery should have taught us all that forced work will never be the best work. heck, i know people whom i’d rather didn’t vote. maybe uninformed opinions (votes) are as valid as any but….i ALWAYS vote and i’d like to see others do like-wise, like my daughters (i can’t even talk them into donating blood regularly), but again force seems a poor way to achieve any goal for most folks.p.s. the absentee voting drive is nation-wide (i believe!) and seems like a reasonable solution for those who want to vote on the day they want to (preferably before the election).
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