What Price Would You Sell Your Right To Vote For?

[wonderpup]

Just reading an article by Yannis Varoufakis and he makes the interesting observation that many people would be likely sell their right to vote in any future elections for a depressingly small sum- which leads me to ask; how much would it take to persuade you to give up your vote?

Would 5 grand do the trick? The scary thing is many-perhaps most-people probably would do this if they considered the price to be right.

http://yanisvaroufakis.eu/2014/02/21/can-the-internet-democratise-capitalism/

[wherebee]

Just reading an article by Yannis Varoufakis and he makes the interesting observation that many people would be likely sell their right to vote in any future elections for a depressingly small sum- which leads me to ask; how much would it take to persuade you to give up your vote?

Would 5 grand do the trick? The scary thing is many-perhaps most-people probably would do this if they considered the price to be right.

http://yanisvaroufakis.eu/2014/02/21/can-the-internet-democratise-capitalism/

depends if everyone else was selling it as well. If yes, would sell (as my vote and the voting process becomes effectively pointless). If no, probably would demand quite a bit.

[snowflux]

Since I live in a rock-solid conservative constituency, my vote has absolutely no meaning whatsoever under the ridiculous system that is First Past The Post. So I guess I'd sell it for whatever the going rate was. It's no use to me otherwise.

Edit: Obviously, if I lived in a democratic country where my vote actually meant something, my answer would be different.

Edited February 23, 2014 by snowflux

[tomandlu]

If it was politics as normal, and I was still a Labour voter, I'd find a committed Tory voter and do a deal (i.e. we'd both sell our vote). I'd want 50 grand minimum.

[StainlessSteelCat]

Enough money for anyone who didn't like the situation to retire abroad at the destination of their choice plus all of the necessary visas as well as funding an armed guerrilla movement strong enough to overthrow the winning government. Even then I'd struggle with my conscience and probably mess up my ballot paper.

The vote is worthless, but I'm damned if I going to put my name against a particular government without causing them some serious pain.

Edited February 23, 2014 by StainlessSteelCat

[Self Employed Youth]

I'd imagine you might struggle to win an election paying £1 a vote, but would probably succeed paying £15.

Don't think I'd sell mine, and many would sell on the 'sly', votes are after all anonymous to a degree. Would the person buying the vote, be allowed to check the vote was cast and for his payment, if the system was reformed to legally allow the out right purchase of votes.

How much to pay somebody to stand for election? £1? For a pint? For the 2/3s that don't care about them?

What about the fraud of 'treating' in an election.

Many politicians seem to have visited foodbanks, perhaps even donated to them for good publicity. "Treating requires a corrupt intent - it does not apply to ordinary hospitality".

Perhaps one should give a fixed proportion of ones income to a foodbank/charity for a set period of time, or have given on a regular basis to one, or not given at all to be allowed to stand for election.

What about people working in foodbanks. Many of them are good people, and may be tempted to stand for election due to the failing system they see before them. But they will carry good favour in their communities, as they help feed the destitute. Is that fair?

[Frank Hovis]

Just reading an article by Yannis Varoufakis and he makes the interesting observation that many people would be likely sell their right to vote in any future elections for a depressingly small sum- which leads me to ask; how much would it take to persuade you to give up your vote?

Would 5 grand do the trick? The scary thing is many-perhaps most-people probably would do this if they considered the price to be right.

http://yanisvaroufakis.eu/2014/02/21/can-the-internet-democratise-capitalism/

For five grand I would have thought pretty much everybody who isn't either rich or hugely idealist would do so and we would be back to pre-universal franchise days and rotten boroughs.

I used to not vote on the grounds that my vote would make no difference, and now that LibLabCon have coalesced I think it makes no difference again, but I do now vote as long as there is any other candidate on the ballot, if it's just those three I vote but spoil it.

[Bloo Loo]

many people give it up for free....they do it every election by not voting.

Thats how much a vote is worth.

Nothing at all.

[Guest spp]

What VOTE?? The RED and BLUE team are there to make us think we have a choice.

Martin Armstrong 22/2/14 - The Rising Global Unrest – Collapse in Marxism & Republics

We live in REPUBLICS with representatives – never in societies where the PEOPLE actually get to vote on key issues.

The pressure of economics always, and without exception, dictates the end game.

Edited February 23, 2014 by spp

[John51]

If it was politics as normal, and I was still a Labour voter, I'd find a committed Tory voter and do a deal (i.e. we'd both sell our vote). I'd want 50 grand minimum.

My 'It will never happen' daydream is for those in a safe labour and safe tory constituency of about the same size wrt votes do a swap and oust the incumbents just to give the 2 parties a kick up the ****.

[Harry Monk]

An ounce of Old Holborn and two cans of Special Brew and it's yours!

[Orsino]

I'd sell my vote for the price of an assault rifle and 500 rounds of ammunition.

[WageWar]

For whichever amount would express the most contempt for the democrats. Either for a completely cynical mercenary amout, to show them what they are like. Or, most likely, for nothing at all.

[Habeas Domus]

My 'It will never happen' daydream is for those in a safe labour and safe tory constituency of about the same size wrt votes do a swap and oust the incumbents just to give the 2 parties a kick up the ****.

So they would both lose one seat and gain one seat, oh yeah that'll really show them.

If it were possible to openly buy votes then the tories would win every time because they have more money.

The easiest method of election fraud is to find people who you know arent going to vote and take their place, even if you dislike all the options this is one reason to turn up and spoil the paper yourself.

[1929crash]

Since I live in a rock-solid conservative constituency, my vote has absolutely no meaning whatsoever under the ridiculous system that is First Past The Post. So I guess I'd sell it for whatever the going rate was. It's no use to me otherwise.

Edit: Obviously, if I lived in a democratic country where my vote actually meant something, my answer would be different.

And I live in a rock solid Labour seat. But the question is not how much would you sell it for, but how much would the market offer? far more in an ultra-marginal than in a constituency like mine.

[disenfranchised]

If you are truly selling it (to be used to vote for ANYBODY), then the price would have to be huge.

If its a case of just selling it to one of the existing interchangeable single party Lib/Lab/Con smegs who will get in anyway with or without my vote, a lot cheaper.

[Frank Hovis]

If you are truly selling it (to be used to vote for ANYBODY), then the price would have to be huge.

If its a case of just selling it to one of the existing interchangeable single party Lib/Lab/Con smegs who will get in anyway with or without my vote, a lot cheaper.

I took the proposition as being that you lose the franchise, rather than somebody else getting their vote.

It makes everybody else's that little bit more important but nobody's getting a block vote.

[macbeth79]

I would accept an ipad 4

[Guest TheBlueCat]

Just reading an article by Yannis Varoufakis and he makes the interesting observation that many people would be likely sell their right to vote in any future elections for a depressingly small sum- which leads me to ask; how much would it take to persuade you to give up your vote?

Would 5 grand do the trick? The scary thing is many-perhaps most-people probably would do this if they considered the price to be right.

http://yanisvaroufak...ise-capitalism/

It would have to be enough money that I could stop caring at all about democracy and the rule of law. 100M should about do it.

[thecrashingisles]

Many people do sell their votes. Getting a big payroll vote was one of Gordon Brown's main strategies.

[wonderpup]

It would have to be enough money that I could stop caring at all about democracy and the rule of law. 100M should about do it

without rule of law how would you hang on to the 100m?

What the author of the quoted article does point out is that the legitimacy of Governments is being undermined because they have lost control of the financial sector, which now operates as an international cartel beyond the reach of state power. And sensing this people are losing interest in the political process.

The irony he points out however is that just as the need for political legitimacy has never been higher- in order to create the stable societies the banksters need to run their operation- that legitimacy is being undermined by the very success those banksters have had in placing themselves above and beyond political control.

The subliminal message of 'too big to fail' is that the bankers are now in the driving seat- it is they who call the shots on the one thing that really matters- money.

And this message has clearly been received by the electorate who once suspected that the bankers ran the world- now they know it's true. What is Cameron after all but a PR man for the City of London? A slick salesman whose role is to sell the plebs the nasty medicine required to ensure the 1% continue to thrive at the expense of the rest of us.

Edited February 23, 2014 by wonderpup

[Guest TheBlueCat]

without rule of law how would you hang on to the 100m?

Move country. I think that amount of cash would allow you to set your life up in such a way that you could move very quickly and keep your assets safe if it came to it.

[pl1]

They are indirectly bought anyway through propoganda and adverts.

[Harry Monk]

They are indirectly bought anyway through propoganda and adverts.

Exactly.

[Dorkins]

Many people do sell their votes. Getting a big payroll vote was one of Gordon Brown's main strategies.

Any evidence that getting a job in the public sector changes voting intentions? If it did it would be a very expensive way to buy votes. If you assume that the people applying for public sector jobs are 50% Labour voters, 30% Conservative and 20% Lib Dem and that getting a job in the public sector switches half of the Conservative and Lib Dem votes to Labour (i.e. so that 75% of public sector workers vote Labour), then for every 4 public sector jobs you create you'll gain 1 new Labour voter. If you assume it costs about £40k to employ a public sector worker for a year (£30k wages + e'ers NI, £10k cost of capital) and that there are 5 years between general elections you would be looking at 4 x £40k x 5 = £800k per Labour payroll vote per general election. Surely there must be cheaper ways to buy votes than that!

The alternative explanation is that public sector roles generally attract more leftwing job applicants and there is no sudden change in voting preference on the day one of them gets the job. When I worked in the public sector I had plenty of coworkers who did not vote Labour (myself among them).