My country has an election tomorrow

... and I'm probably the only one who's excited. I love watching all those TV election specials as the results come in.

admin: I dont know, J has put off a family dinner one night so that he can watch the results come in.

admin: Sigh, if only I lived in an election where people actually knew the days to vote.
America has the highest disproportion of voters and representation of the voters will.

When 66% of registered voters allign with liberalism, but over 50% of our congressman are conservative, you have to wonder when people will start giving a damn about the future of their country. Getting people to care about going to the polls is something not every country has, and I can't respect people who complain about the government and miss nearly every primary/general election.

Blackflag: *lived in a country, lol

Blackflag: Yeah, last election we had a record low voter turnout lol. Something like 1 in 4 people didn't vote.

Well that was fun. Our government now looks more or less exactly the same as it did before.

admin: Sound like there was a better turnout this though.

nzlockie: Last time I recall it was ~75%.

2,112,522 votes counted this time around. 3,096,247 are enrolled. That's ~68%.

So it's actually a worse turnout this time around.

admin: (mind you this doesn't consider special votes, but I refuse to believe 7+% of the population cast a special vote)

admin: In America, we can hardly scrap up 50% of the people in our nation to vote in the senate race.
America has one of the lowest voter turnouts in the democratic world, and as a result, we are cluttered with corrupt and gerrymandered politicians.

Blackflag: what a shame.

admin: 3,096,247 enrolled voters. 2,366,692 votes. That's a 76% turnout.

nzlockie: that's a lot.

nzlockie: Where are you getting your number of votes from? Pretty sure my figure's accurate (2,112,522) - see http://www.electionresults.govt.nz/electionresults_2014/partystatus.html

admin: That's more accurate than mine!
I got mine from some news agency, stuff.co.nz or somewhere like that.
Consider them retracted.

nzlockie: Figured it out. If you add in special votes that haven't yet been counted your figure is pretty much accurate.

Still, it's not a better turnout. It's pretty much the same as last time. And I do wonder why there's so many special votes.

Blackflag: I learned something today. Despite the fact the USA has one of the most confusing political systems ever (or perhaps because of that) you guys are better in civics than we are: http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/topics/research/iccs_data

admin: Confusing? Seems pretty simple to me. Especially since they regurgitate the same "three branches of government" lessons each year

Blackflag: But each state has its own rules.

admin: Well there isn't to much different when moving states.
The main things that will change are "civil + criminal law", "tax collection", and "how government officials are elected".
Although each state has different laws on how state representatives are elected, how laws are passed, ect., all states follow the basic three branch system.

State Senate. State House. State Governor. State Judiciary.
Federal Senate. Federal House. Federal President. Supreme Court.