Voting should be based on the voter but on measurable phenomena. I recommend people vote depending on weight.

You get your voting card and the progress onto the scales through a metal detector (to scan for weights). An official works the scales, stamps the weight on your card and this is used to add proportional gravitas to your vote.
-- Aristotle, May 17 2001

World's heaviest person http://detnews.com/...906/08/06080138.htm
This guy wants to be less influential. [angel, May 17 2001, last modified Oct 04 2004]

But by voting him heavier won't we be obliged to invoke some sort of vote-to-mass converter? Oh yeah...that sinking feeling you get after leaving the polls! Ok that's all right then.

Shall we explore Weighted-Base Voting, in which everyone must wear lead shoes as they cast their ballots?
-- Dog Ed, May 17 2001


I'd advocate "Wait-based voting" where voters would be forced to drink large quantities of liquids and then their votes would be based on their bladder control over the next few hours.

Or "Wait Baste Voting", in which voters would be judged on, when roasting e.g. a turkey, how long they wait before basting it.
-- hippo, May 17 2001


Are we weighting for StarChaser?
-- thumbwax, May 17 2001


Although you didn't specify, the implication in the idea is that the heaviest person gets the biggest vote. On the grounds of superior entertainment value, I'd go for slimmed down voting booths and a time limit on how long you can take to vote. So you get a good five to ten minutes of entertainment from watching each fatty as they struggle to squeeze into a completely inadequate voting space before their time runs out. Government by the anorexic. You know it makes sense!
-- DrBob, May 17 2001


An advantage of this (say for small scale democracies like local councils) is that people could just climb into either pan of a pair of giant scales to see which way the vote has swung.
-- Aristotle, May 18 2001


Close, UnaBubba. I'm 6'3 and 300#. According to carnival 'guess your weight' places, I look about 220#.
-- StarChaser, May 19 2001


This is why I would weigh people. Guessing people's weight would be far too inaccurate ...
-- Aristotle, May 19 2001


'Big boned'. <I can't wear a normal watchband, my wrists are too big. My pinky finger takes a size 13 ring. I'm a big tyger...>
-- StarChaser, May 19 2001


Aristotle: I suggested this idea in "Weight everyone's vote based on IQ" the day before you posted it! I suggested that the scales pro-rate your vote automatically-- otherwise, the weight-conscious would stay home on election day.
-- ejs, May 21 2001


This idea is very sexist. Women weigh less than men. I hate it. (I'm 98 lb BTW)
-- futurebird, Jul 14 2001


Well, then, get empowered! Have this double cheeseburger and supersize fries. :)
-- arghblah, Nov 28 2001


[futurebire] maybe for women it would be waist-based with the smaller the waist the more voting influence, in which case, you'd probably rule.
-- bristolz, Nov 28 2001


Cool, StarChaser is my hight and weight twin! We could take Hollywood by storm!
-- dare99, Nov 28 2001


who said Bill and Ted - own up
-- po, Nov 29 2001


Oh, great. Not content with eating all the pies and hating me for my high metabolism (5'11'', and 8 and 1/2 stone), the fatties want to take my democratic rights too. It's no fun being constantly hungry no matter how much you eat, you know? There's no sympathy for skinny buggers, is there? No, all we get is resentment and hostility<sniff>... and now outright disenfranchisement! Guess I'll just have to eat all my croissants on my own to try and get my weight up. In fact, I'll just nibble all the meat off of this here fishy and you can have what's left.
-- Guy Fox, Nov 29 2001


5'3" and 58 kilos. But if you want to feed me up with ice cream, fine! (Just wait till after 2.30's passed)
-- lewisgirl, Nov 29 2001


Do you really think it's that funny that weight can reference someone's mass, and also is used to reference stronger voting power? Do you think the whole idea of some people having stronger voting power than others is ridiculous. If so maybe the "Public: Voting: Weight" category should be removed from halbakery. Until then I think the concept of giving some people's vote more weight is a valid discussion topic, even though there has been so much moral outrage expressed to the contrary.
-- myclob, Mar 13 2005



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